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Nigerian Military Ranked 5th Strongest in Africa. See Which Countries Are Stronger Than Nigeria

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<b>The <i>Global Fire Power</i> ranks countries of the world 
every year according to their military strength and fire power. </b></div>
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In their
 ranking of African countries with the highest Military Strength and 
Fire Power, up to 40 different ranking tools and parameters like number 
of active front-line and reserve personnel, number of tanks and armoured
 fighting vehicle, aircrafts like fighters/ interceptors and 
helicopters, naval strength and coastal defence crafts, resources and 
defence budget, logistics and many other factors are used and in such an
 approach that a smaller country with good military intelligence 
competes favourably well with a highly populated country with lots of 
great foot soldiers while landlocked countries are not penalized for 
lack of an active navy. It is important to note that the military 
strength of a country is not only determined by the size of her 
ammunition.<br />
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<b>10. LIBYA </b></div>
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The 2011 Libya revolution has placed question marks 
on the military capabilities of a country with population of just over 6
 million. Almost 3 million citizens are fit for service and just about 
116,000 people reach service age each year but these small numbers 
correlate quite oppositely to the artillery and ammunition the country 
boasts of when compared with other African countries. Libya boasts of 
500 tanks, 2,500 armored fighting vehicles, 400 self propelled guns, 800
 rocket projectors, 1050 potable AT weapons, over 600 air crafts and 121
 helicopters and $880 million pumped in to defence every year.<br />
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<b>9. ANGOLA</b> <br />
Angola is the 7th largest country in Africa with a 
population of over 21 million and is located at the southern Africa. 
There are three components of Angolan military: the Army, Navy and Air 
Force and all of these have a combined manpower in excess of 100,000 
divided into 87,000 active front-line personnel and 30,000 active 
reserve personnel. Angola has 140 tanks, 980 armoured fighting vehicles,
 298 towed-artillery, 270 total number of aircraft, 98 helicopters with,
 15 attack helicopters, 82 fighters/ interceptors. The country’s naval 
strength is boosted with 30 coastal defence crafts and 2 mine warfare 
and with a defence budget of over $4 bn, Angola is sure to continue to 
see a strong military growth.<br />
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<b>8. TUNISIA </b><br />
Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa and 
home to over 10 million people. There are almost 5 million people who 
are fit for service out of the 5.7 million available manpower. The 
number of active front-liner personnel stands at 40,000 with additional 
12,000 active reserve personnel. The country boasts of 350 tanks, 900 
armoured fighting vehicles, 139 total aircraft, 75 helicopters, 12 
fighters/ interceptors, 25 coastal defence aircraft all backed by over 
$550 million defence budget per year.<br />
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<b>7. MOROCCO </b><br />
The kingdom of Morocco is a country in the northern 
region of Africa with a population of over 33 million. The country’s 
military arm known as the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces is responsible for
 land-based military operations but in addition to the army, Morocco 
also has the Navy, the Air Force, the Royal Guard, the Royal Gendarmerie
 and the Auxiliary Forces. There are about 17 million available manpower
 with over 14 million people fit for service, 195,000 people in active 
front-line service and 150,000 in active reserve. Morocco has 1,348 
tanks, 2,120 armoured fighting vehicles, 323 total aircraft, 139 
helicopters, 70 coastal defence craft and spends over $3.4 bn in defence
 budget.<br />
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<b>6. KENYA </b><br />
Kenya is a major commercial and technology hub in 
the East Africa. Officially called the Republic of Kenya, the country 
has a population of about 41 million residents. When it comes to 
military strength and fire power, Kenya is a force to reckon with. The 
country has enough military strength to afford to always send some on a 
peace keeping mission in other African countries. Almost 20 million 
people make up the country’s man power and more than 12 million of these
 are fit for service. 839,000 reach military age every year. Kenya has 
24,000 active front-line, 5,000 active reserve personnel and boasts of 
186 tanks, 2000 armoured fighting vehicles, 134 total air crafts, 66 
helicopters, 14 coastal defence crafts and with Kenya’s defence budget 
on its course to hit $5 bn by 2018, we might see the country advancing 
way ahead of others on this list.<br />
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<b>5. NIGERIA </b><br />
Located at the shores of West Africa is the country 
that is home to a staggering 170 million people. With the available 
manpower of over 72 million people, there are more than 40 million 
people who are fit for service with 3.5 million people reaching the 
military service year every year. Nigeria has 363 tanks, 680 
towed-artillery and more than 1,400 armoured fighting vehicles. Nigeria 
has 96 total air crafts and 36 helicopters, 51 coastal defence crafts 
and 2 mine warfare. The large population is kept safe with a yearly 
budget of over $2.3 bn.<br />
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<b>4. SOUTH AFRICA </b><br />
Republic of South Africa, is an African country 
located at the southern tip of the continent. South Africa is the 25th 
largest country in the world by area and the 24th most populous country 
with over 54 million people. When it comes to military power, South 
Africa has got what it takes to be among the top countries in Africa 
strong enough to be recognised. Half of South Africa’s population are 
within the manpower class; 14 million are fit for service and almost a 
million people (964,139) are getting to military age annually. South 
Africa has 88,000 active front-line and 17,000 active reserve personnel.
 On military equipment, South Africa has 191 tanks and 1430 armoured 
fighting vehicles, 118 self-propelled guns, 240 rocket projectors and 
213 total number of air crafts. 4 frigates and 3 submarines keep the 
shores safe and there is over $4.6 bn spent on defence every year.</div>
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<b>3. ETHIOPIA</b> <br />
Ethiopia has a population of 94.1 million. It is 
Africa’s oldest independent country and its second largest in terms of 
population. Ethiopia has found a way to transform her population into a 
military stronghold in Africa. With a manpower of 38 million people, 24 
million of this population fit for active service and almost 2 million 
people reaching the military age every year, the country is one of the 
strongest in Africa. Ethiopia has over 560 tanks and 780 armoured 
vehicles, 183 multi-launch rocket system (MLRS), 81 air crafts and 39 
helicopters to hover around any country plotting any form of 
invasion.The entire Ethiopia’s defence is supported by 182,500 
front-line personnel and over $340 million defence budget to take care 
of things every 365 days.<br />
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<b>2. ALGERIA </b><br />
Algeria is a country consisting of 48 provinces and 
1541 communes. It is the 33rd most populated country on earth with a 
population of 39.21 million. More than 20 million people make up the 
manpower and over 17 million citizens are within the active service 
year. Algerian military is made up of modern army, navy and air force. 
The country is largely financed by oil and Sonatrach, the national oil 
company, is the largest company in Africa generating revenues in excess 
of $76.1bn and employing over 120,000 people in 2012. Algeria has the 
second largest army in Africa and in the Arab World, after Egypt, and 
has Russia and China as her strategic allies and arms furnisher. 672,993
 individuals reach the military age annually. There are over 500,000 
active front-line and 400,000 reserve personnel. Algeria is equipped 
with more than a thousand tanks, 1800 armoured fighting vehicles, over 
400 air crafts, 188 helicopters, 6 submarines. With a defense budget of 
over $10.5 bn, Algeria will continue to be among the African countries 
with the best military strength.<br />
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<b>1. EGYPT </b><br />
Egypt is a country in the north of Africa with a 
staggering population of 94 million people and has faced major political
 crises in the recent past but this has not changed its position as a 
leading African country when it comes to military strength. A 
significant percentage of Egypt’s population (over 35 million) are fit 
for active military service and more than 1.5 million individuals reach 
the military age every year. With almost 5000 tanks including armoured 
fighting vehicles, self propelled guns and towed artillery, Egypt is a 
force to reckon with when it comes to Africa. Having a total of 1,100 
aircraft including 245 helicopters, 343 fighters, 390 trainer aircraft 
and 28 mine warfare, 84 serviceable air ports and a budget of over $4bn 
pumped into Egypt’s defence every 365 days make Egyptian military the 
strongest among other countries in Africa.<br />
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<b>Source: <a href="http://answersafrica.com/7-african-countries-with-highest-military-strength.html">Answers Africa</a></b></div>
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Nigerian Military Ranked 5th Strongest in Africa. See Which Countries Are Stronger Than Nigeria

The Global Fire Power ranks countries of the world every year according to their military strength and fire power. In their ...

We'll Revisit Sanusi's Allegation On NNPC's Missing $20 Billion - Buhari

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<b>President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said his 
administration will take a second look at the claim made by former 
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, now Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, that
 $20bn was unaccounted for.</b><br />
<br />

Buhari said this while receiving a delegation of party supporters and
 newly elected officials on the platform of the All Progressives 
Congress from Adamawa State at his campaign office in Abuja.<br />
<br />

The President-elect who spoke in the local Hausa language, expressed 
surprise that, instead of probing the allegations by the former CBN 
governor, the authorities chose to fire him.<br />
<br />

According to him, since Sanusi’s claim was documented, his 
administration will take a second look at the document when he assumes 
power on May 29th.<br />
<br />

Buhari said, “On the issue of corruption, I heard that some people 
have started returning money.  I will not believe it until I go and see 
for myself."<br />
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We'll Revisit Sanusi's Allegation On NNPC's Missing $20 Billion - Buhari

President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said his administration will take a second look at the claim made by former Gov...

Six Chelsea Players Make PFA Premier League Team of the Year

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<b>Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Gary Cahill make up three-quarters of the back four, with Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard joining them in midfield and Diego Costa voted into the attack.</b><br />
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The team is voted for by the players’ fellow professionals, with voting for team-mates not allowed.<br />
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The full PFA Premier League Team of the Year, which also includes former Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand, is:<br />
De Gea (Manchester United); Ivanovic (Chelsea),  Cahill (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Bertrand (Southampton), Sanchez (Arsenal),  Matic (Chelsea), Coutinho (Liverpool), Hazard (Chelsea); Diego Costa (Chelsea), Kane (Tottenham).<br />
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<img alt="PFA-Premier-League-Team-of-the-Year" class="cq-dd-image img-responsive" height="359" src="http://www.chelseafc.com/content/cfc/en/homepage/news/boilerplate-config/latest-news/2015/04/six-blues-in-team-of-the-year/_jcr_content/main/textimage/image.img.jpg/1430048666305.jpg" title="PFA-Premier-League-Team-of-the-Year" width="640" /></div>
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The Chelsea group have all played a 
significant part in the team’s success so far this season, with the 
Blues sitting 10 points clear at the top of the table ahead of our short
 trip to Arsenal this afternoon.<br />
<br />
Hazard and Diego Costa are both in the running for the PFA Player of 
the Year award, which will be announced this evening, while the Belgian 
is joined by his compatriot Thibaut Courtois in the Young Player of the 
Year category.<br />
<br />
Chelsea Ladies’ Ji So-Yun and Eni Aluko are nominated for the female 
PFA award, while Hannah Blundell is on the shortlist for the Young 
Player of the Year.<br />
<br />
<b>Source: <a href="http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2015/04/six-blues-in-team-of-the-year.html">Chelsea FC</a></b></div>
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Six Chelsea Players Make PFA Premier League Team of the Year

Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Gary Cahill make up three-quarters of the back four, with Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard joining them ...

After Aso Villa Exit, President Jonathan Retires To Luxury Island Villa

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<b>After May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan will leave the Aso Villa. SIMON UTEBOR was at the President’s Otuoke, Bayelsa State-country home where he is expected to retire to.</b></div>
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The air around the sprawling estate is 
amazingly cool. Looking around, the answer to this quickly dawns on our 
correspondent. The estate is opposite a creek, and the rolling breeze 
keep coming.</div>
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It is Otuoke, the home town of President
 Goodluck Jonathan. Otuoke is a small island community in the Ogbia 
Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.</div>
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And there, the estate sprawls over a 
large expanse of land contrasting sharply with its rustic surrounding. 
It is said to belong to President Jonathan.</div>
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On the long road to the gates, soldiers 
and members of other security agencies, apparently on sentry duty, 
walked on the grounds. The overall air suggested guarded and protected 
serenity. No one needs the gift of clairvoyance to understand they are 
approaching a restricted zone.</div>
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Behind the gates, shoving their heads 
above the walls are no fewer than eight different structures apparently 
for different purposes: recreation, security posts and guard quarters. A
 visitor to Otuoke will not be penalised for calling the place a 
fortress.</div>
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Activities in this place, a source 
within said had been at a lull until a couple of weeks ago. And it is 
largely believed that come May 29, after the expiration of his tenure, 
President Jonathan would relocate to the place.</div>
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As if the President had the premonition 
that he would not live in Aso Rock beyond 2015, he was reported to have 
begun acquiring properties adjacent his sprawling country home by late 
2013.</div>
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The President, <a href="http://www.punchng.com/politics/aso-rock-exit-jonathan-to-live-in-luxury-island-villa/"><b>SUNDAY PUNCH</b></a> 
gathered, acquired properties on an area which runs to about seven acres
 of Otuoba which were around his mansion that had been there earlier.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The place was thereafter expanded to encase the mansion while new structures were erected round it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was also gathered that adequate compensation was paid to the owners of these properties to enable them relocate elsewhere.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was learnt that Jonathan after 
acquiring those buildings in 2013, engaged the services of a 
construction company, Jiito, to expand the estate to accommodate his new
 acquisition.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today, Jonathan’s mini-estate, which 
overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities of 
Bayelsa, is a cynosure of all eyes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A visit to Otuoke on Thursday showed 
that Jonathan’s mansions, which had been undergoing construction and 
reconstruction in the last 10 years are now ready for habitation. The 
area they sit on is best described as an island.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was learnt that before now, each time
 the President visited Otuoke, he usually slept in his wife’s (Patience)
 castle which is directly opposite the Federal University, Otuoke.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was also learnt that the Jonathans 
own the choicest properties in Otuoke. The President was said to have 
built a two-storey building each for his mother and father opposite his 
own.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His wife, Dame Patience, asides a hotel,
 is also said to have numerous buildings that have been converted into 
hostels for FUO female students.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the readiness of the Jonathans to 
return to Otuoke, one of the military personnel guarding his houses said
 all the mansions in the estate were ready except one.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The soldier, who declined to give his 
name, said the contractors were fixing air conditioners and window 
blinds on the last mansion.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The security operative said, “I can tell
 you that the houses are ready. Everything is in order. It remains only 
one building where the contractors are putting window blinds, curtains 
and air conditioners.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“I overheard some of the workers saying 
that they had been instructed to finish the last building before the 
second week of May. I think it is because the President is returning 
home.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“As of now, no domestic staff or 
relatives are living here. All his relatives have their homes. It is 
only military men and policemen that are living in some of the 
buildings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Even at that, many buildings are left 
unoccupied because the buildings are so massive and it will take a 
community to occupy them.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The soldier, who said he had been living
 at the place for the past four years, claimed some of the President’s 
domestic staff were in his Kpansia, Yenagoa mansion, which he built 
while he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That the President will be returning to 
Otuoke according to the soldier, is only symbolic, stressing that apart 
from the mansions at Otuoke, Jonathan and his family members have 
numerous buildings at Okaka Estate, off Isaac Boro Expressway in 
Yenagoa.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many residents of Otuoke are indeed longing to see President Jonathan, one of their illustrious sons, return home.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For them, Jonathan has made Otuoke, once
 a relatively unknown place, known to people outside it and turning it 
to a city to be reckoned with.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A resident, Prere Goodthinking, said 
though President Jonathan lost his re-election bid, he is God-sent, not 
only to Bayelsa people but to the entire country.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prere said, “Whether people like it or 
not, Jonathan can best be described as an icon of Nigeria’s democracy. 
He is a man of peace, a gentleman and a great statesman.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“He has proved to the whole world that 
he is not a power-monger. He has shown the world that his ambition is 
not worth the blood of any Nigerian. We want other leaders to emulate 
him. We are going to celebrate his return and I hope Nigerians and the 
world will also celebrate our illustrious son.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebilari, said Jonathan had made Otuoke to be on the world map for good reasons.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She said, “About 12 years ago, Otuoke 
was a jungle. Most houses there were decrepit. But today, you can see 
that the place that was once a hamlet has become a wonderful city.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Buildings are springing up everywhere. 
Life has become more meaningful for the people. Before you mention three
 prominent places in Bayelsa, Otuoke must come up. Thus, we are proud of
 our son Jonathan. We are waiting enthusiastically to receive him after 
his national assignment on May 29.”</div>
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After Aso Villa Exit, President Jonathan Retires To Luxury Island Villa

After May 29, President Goodluck Jonathan will leave the Aso Villa. SIMON UTEBOR was at the President’s Otuoke, Bayelsa State-country ...

APC's Alhassan Kicks As INEC Declares PDP Winner of Taraba Gov'ship Poll

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<br />
<b>The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the just-concluded 
governorship election in Taraba State, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, has rejected
 the results of the poll as announced by INEC on Sunday.</b><br />
<br />

Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, shortly after the 
announcement of the results, Alhassan described the entire elections 
process as a “daylight robbery” and said the party would challenge the 
results at the elections petitions tribunal.<br />
<br />

“The combined governorship elections in Taraba were characterised by 
violence, massive rigging, ballot snatching and abuse of the card 
readers in substantial parts of the state by the PDP and their allies,” 
she said. <br />

She contended that results ascribed to Wukari, Donga, Takum, 
Sardauna, Zing, Yorro, Kurmi and some parts of Ussa, Karim-Lamido, Bali,
 Ardo-Kola and Lau Local Government areas were not acceptable as they 
did not reflect the true results of the election in Taraba.<br />
<br />

Alhassan said all the complaints on the irregularities and abuse of 
the election guidelines were promptly reported to INEC, but that no 
action was taken.<br />
<br />

NAN reports that the INEC Returning Officer for Taraba Prof. Kyari 
Mohammed, who declared the results on Sunday in Jalingo, said Ishaku 
scored <b>369,318</b> votes to emerge victorious.<br />
<br />

He said Sen. Aisha Alhassan came second with <b>275,984</b> votes, while 
Chief David Kente of the Social Democratic Party, polled 29,966 votes. <br />
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APC's Alhassan Kicks As INEC Declares PDP Winner of Taraba Gov'ship Poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the just-concluded governorship election in Taraba State, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, has re...

The A-Z of Transition From One Government to Another - Dr Aliyu Modibo

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<br /></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Dr Aliyu Modibbo worked in The 
Presidency for over 12 years in various capacities. Later, he served as Minister in different ministries in the governments of former presidents
 Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’adua. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/top-stories/20241-transition-buhari-might-be-shocked-by-what-he-ll-meet-in-aso-rock-dr-modibbo"><b>SUNDAY TRUST</b></a> approached him 
to discuss the intricacies involved in the transition from one 
government to another. In this interview, the former minister, who 
earned a PhD for his studies and research into the politics of 
presidency across the globe, revealed the politics involved in the 
process.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>The much-awaited 2015 presidential election has come and gone. What’s your take on its outcome?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />First
 and foremost, let me congratulate Nigerians for this smooth transition 
from one government to another. I also congratulate the president-elect.
 I must commend the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan for the 
statesmanship, which is unprecedented in Africa. President Jonathan has 
written his name in the annals of history as one of the African heads of
 states to accept a defeat in a contested election like ours. By and 
large, Nigerians were apprehensive about the 2015 elections, and 
everyone thought doomsday was coming. Certainly, if it were not for the 
conduct of some individuals and Mr President, as well as the opposition,
 things would have really been bad for us. The greatest of all is the 
prayers by Nigerians, and God has answered our prayers for a smooth 
transition. We’re hoping that the governorship election will be the 
same. From now on, we can say we’ve joined the democratic nations of the
 world.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Between now and May 29 is the 
transition period from President Jonathan to General Buhari, the 
president-elect. During a period like this, what usually happens in The 
Presidency, based on your long years of experience and being a scholar 
in this field of study?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />In my view, based on my experience 
of working in The Presidency for over 12 years in Aso Rock Villa, and 
being a scholar in Presidential Studies, we’ve got it wrong in the 
transition from one government to another. There was no transition 
between the government of the late Tafawa Balewa and the late Aguiyi 
Ironsi. It was a coup and the leaders of that government were killed; 
hence there was no transfer of institutional memory of the Balewa regime
 to Ironsi. Also, when Ironsi was removed, there was no transition. When
 Gowon took over, the government had to start everything from the 
scratch. There was no institutional memory because everybody was chased 
away. When General Obasanjo took over from General Gowon, it was the 
same disruptive process. There was no continuity, no institutional 
memory. Even if there was, they would be very few because the 
governments that took over would say they wanted to start everything 
anew. They would not be mindful of certain things that were in place 
before they came in. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The first actual transition we can think of was
 the one from General Obasanjo to Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1979. The 
transition was clearly demarcated. Records were compiled, passed and 
handed over to the new government. But because Alhaji Shagari was 
inheriting a military regime which had no mandate from the people, it 
was very difficult to continue with the programmes which Obasanjo 
started. Certain things had to collapse eventually. If you recall, 
during Obasanjo’s second coming in 1999, he lamented that when he left 
government, there was an airline, shipping line, etc, but he did not 
meet any of them when he returned. But because the government that took 
over from him was a democratically elected one, it had to alter the 
programmes to certain levels; and the accountability requirement was 
different. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />By the time Shagari was toppled by Buhari, there was no 
transition. Everybody was thrown away, except for the permanent 
secretaries. Some of us who have been ministers have realised that 
permanent secretaries don’t tell ministers the truth. When I was removed
 as FCT minister and another minister came, even in the same government,
 the permanent secretary didn’t guide the minister about the programmes 
in place which needed to be continued. Unlike me, when I took over from 
Nasir el-Rufai, I was properly briefed and I knew some of his programmes
 that I needed to continue with, some I needed to adjust, etc. In 
administration, it’s good to refine programmes, not to throw away what 
has been in place before you took over. But permanent secretaries, as a 
result of either eye service, lack of commitment, incompetence, 
laziness, I can’t tell, don’t push the political principal to continue 
to see the merits of some of the programmes that were in place. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />By 
the time Buhari toppled Shagari, all the programmes were jettisoned and 
new ones were put in place. Then came President Babangida, and of 
course, there was no proper transition. Everybody was removed. And then,
 Babangida stepped aside for Shonekan, but there was no proper 
transition, like a template. The man was left on his own, so transition 
didn’t take place. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />It’s the same when Abacha overthrew Shonekan, and
 the same with Abacha/Abdulsalami. Abacha died and Abdulsalami took 
over, therefore, there was no transition in the process. I have been 
part of the process from the era of Babangida/Shonekan because I 
witnessed those ones. The other ones I’ve mentioned I know based on my 
study and research into the history of The Presidency in Nigeria. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The
 first proper transition that took place, in my view, was the one 
between Abdulsalami and Obasanjo in 1999. At that time I was in the 
Office of the Staff Officer to the Head of State. I’ve been there since 
the Abacha regime. I had to midwife the transition package, in terms of 
the documentation, programme outline of what had happened in 
accountability. Since 1999, there has been a duality of structure in 
government, particularly under the Head of State or President. You have 
the State House, and you have The Presidency, which is like under the 
Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The SGF is in charge of 
the wider bureaucracy in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The 
task of compiling institutional memory of the Head of State or the 
President resides in the Aso Rock Villa. This is done by the principal 
secretary, chief of staff, etc. So we had to package the transition in 
two phases. The first part was the substantive one - the institutional 
memory of all the MDAs, accountability. Then we had the ceremonial part 
of the programme: how the handover activities would be. On the 
instruction of General Abdulsalami, I was responsible for the collecting
 of all the documents from the MDAs. We put them in 20 volumes. Each 
ministry submitted its programmes and visions.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>What happens when transitions are not done properly?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />When
 transitions are not done properly there could be serious dangers. When 
Abacha started Vision 2020, a very cardinal programme of government, 
chaired by Chief Ernest Shonekan, he brought people from all over the 
country and other parts of the world. A wonderful document was produced 
for each milestone in every aspect of the polity and economy. Because 
there was no proper transition, by the time Abdulsalami came, it was put
 aside and jettisoned. By the time Obasanjo came, it was not mentioned 
in the transition. Then the Obasanjo regime in 1999 started replicating 
some of the things in the Vision 2020 document. The discussion on the 
Vision 2020 took about a year. The document was dumped. The Petroleum 
Trust Fund (PTF) under General Buhari, for example, was a great 
programme. If there was a proper transition, that programme would have 
continued. But it was just thrown away, then later we started 
duplicating the programmes: NAPEP, SURE-UP. These were things done by 
other regimes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>What is the process of a proper transition?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The
 first step is for the president to ask all ministers and direct them to
 prepare and submit their ministerial briefs and handover notes. 
Promptly, a transition committee will be set up. In 1999, I recall that 
the outgoing Abdulsalami government had its own transition committee and
 the president-elect Obasanjo had his own team. But what was remarkable 
was that by the time Obasanjo came for the briefing, his transition 
committee under General T.Y Danjuma, Ahmed Joda, Dele Cole, Phillip 
Asiodu, etc, already had their prepared documents and plan, which they 
were not going to share with the outgoing ministers. They came for about
 two or three briefings and it didn’t continue. But I need to say that 
even the transition briefings are normally conducted at different 
levels. The one I’ve just described is the intense level. Then you had 
the sectorial briefing by key sectors, like the service chiefs, SSS, 
NIA. They would brief the incoming president. In 2003, Obasanjo was just
 handing over to himself. There was only the ceremonial handover.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>From your studies, do you sense a kind of suspicion between the outgoing and incoming teams?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />In
 the transition in 1999, I could see that there was this nonchalant and 
condescending attitude for the outgoing regime. The incoming regime was 
populated by heavyweights, especially because of the Generals on the 
incoming transition committee. They were not enthusiastic about what the
 outgoing administration was handing over. The exception was when 
Obasanjo identified some talents. When the then Minister of Power, 
Engineer Bello Suleiman was briefing the team, Obasanjo was fascinated 
by the explanation of the minister, and immediately gave the minister a 
job as Managing Director of the PHCN. Obasanjo had made up his mind to 
make the late Chief Bola Ige Minister of Power, so he had to make 
Engineer Suleiman head of the PHCN. It was also during such briefing 
that Obasanjo identified the talents of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and picked 
him as head of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE). Even Steven 
Orosanye encountered Obasanjo and was picked for a key position in The 
Presidency. What happened in 1999 between Abdulsalami and Obasanjo is 
similar to what is going to happen between President Jonathan and 
General Buhari.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Why do you say they would be similar?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />I
 say so because, just like the then incoming PDP under Obasanjo thought 
that the military had messed up the country, and whatever the military 
had done was upside down, and there was need for reconstruction, that’s 
the kind of attitude we have now. The APC believes the PDP has messed up
 the country in the last 16 years and they are coming with a new 
template. If we’re not lucky we’ll fall into the same trap that the 
Abdulsalami/Obasanjo was caught in. Hopefully, the president-elect and 
his people would see that a proper transition is done, leaving nothing 
left unturned to understand the programmes of the outgoing government 
and pick the ones that are good, refine them and continue with them; 
pick the ones that are outdated and do away with them. This not to say 
that even within the same government, there are no challenges. If you 
take the Yar’adua/Obasanjo, there was a kind of enthusiasm because it 
was like Obasanjo was handing over to his godson, somebody that he 
believed would carry on with his programme. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Another problem in 
transition is that you may have people who belong to different eras or 
generations, or people who are not attuned to the realities of the 
moment. For instance, when Obasanjo came in 1999, he had been out of 
government for almost 30 years. All his team when he returned were like 
his friends. They were part of the government the previous 30 years. 
It’s like the kind of thing that would happen in the Buhari 
administration under the All Progressives Congress (APC). If one is out 
of government for 32 years, his primary source of information is the 
media.  Primarily, he’s not in government to feel what was happening. 
His template, knowledge, memory would be from the previous era, 
particularly for someone who had been a Head of State. He may feel that 
it’s the same State House that he left 32 years ago that he’s returning 
to. It’s just like Obasanjo thought he was returning to the Civil 
Service he left in 1979 that he would meet in 1999. Everything has 
dramatically changed. If you come to government with an old template, 
you’re bound to introduce a dramatic reversal of everything. But 
hopefully, because of the composition of the APC (many of them have been
 in power in contemporary Nigeria), things may be done differently. But 
there may be some persons behind the team with whom the president-elect 
had worked before who may come on board. So there must be understanding 
of this reality and things should be done pragmatically.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>You were actively involved in the Obasanjo/Yar’Adua transition. What happened?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />I
 had known Yar’adua for over 12 years before he was elected president in
 2007. We were very close. I was a Minister of Commerce (on my second 
ministerial appointment) before he came to power. I saw that he was a 
little bit disorganised. He had very little knowledge of people beyond 
his domain in Katsina. Those around him were from Katsina; they had not 
worked with the Federal Government before then. When he came, I advised 
him to appoint intelligent people into the transition committee, and he 
advised me to act as coordinator of the process. I asked him to talk to 
Obasanjo to allow me do it, and the former president agreed. We started 
the process quite well, the ceremonial part and the institutional 
aspect. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />For the second part, Obasanjo took full control of it 
because he wanted the briefing to be very thorough. As a matter of fact,
 we spent two days non-stop, doing marathon briefing. It became a little
 bit superfluous for the same government handing over to another. But 
Obasanjo wanted everything to be thoroughly explained to the incoming 
president. But you can see that even with all of that, Yar’Adua had his 
own idea of what he wanted to achieve. It was later on I discovered it. 
After all the briefing, he called me and asked me to take down his 
7-Point agenda which he wanted us to put in his inaugural speech, which 
he did. His mantra, which was a little bit different, was rule of law, 
anti-corruption, power sector reform, etc. We may even hear all this 
when the APC regime comes on board. At that time, political appointments
 were not discussed (during the transition).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />In my view, there are 
certain appointments that should be in place before the transition is 
done. It’s not proper to begin to scout for key ministers after the 
transition is completed. You may need some key officials, especially 
those who don’t need the National Assembly’s approval before their 
appointments. For instance, it’s good to have the SGF in place before 
the transition is done. Even if he’s not so named, he should be 
attending the briefings, and the president should take him into 
confidence by saying he would be the SGF. That position is very crucial 
for the country’s bureaucracy. It’s the institutional memory of 
government since colonial times. The Chief of Staff is something new. 
President Yar’Adua had to jettison it and adopted the traditional 
position of principal secretary, which I think was not a good idea. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Also,
 the National Security Adviser should be with you during all the 
briefings. Hopefully, everything would be done differently this time, 
not like the zoning principle in the PDP, where the SGF is zoned. Zoning
 the SGF will prevent the president from choosing the best person for 
that job. During that Yar’adua era we settled for Ambassador Babagana 
Kingibe because he was a permanent secretary, an ambassador and he was 
prominent in and outside Nigeria.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>We hear some ministries have 
hidden bank accounts. Is it possible for some permanent secretaries to 
fail to do full disclosure during a transition period?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Definitely.
 Let me give you an example, when we came we found, in the Ministry of 
Works, that there was an outstanding liability of ₦1 trillion of work 
done, but not paid for. Even at the FCT, I had certificates of works 
done by contractors worth ₦145 billion. But it was not in the handover 
note given to me. Therefore, my focus had to change. If I had to service
 the debt from the ‘envelop’ given to me as minister, it meant I could 
not embark on new projects. It would be better, if during this 
transition, the president-elect and his team are told the magnitude of 
liabilities in each ministry and the quantum of money we have. This will
 inform how they would approach issues when they assume office.  Then 
you have key ministries that must do full disclosure - petroleum, 
finance, Central Bank of Nigeria. They need to brief the incoming 
president one-on-one fully about what monies are where. It’s very 
important. The president will know the landmines that he’s getting. He 
would find a way to communicate that to the public.  When I told 
President Yar’Adua of the liabilities I inherited, he told me there was 
no need for me to start opening up new districts in the FCT. But people 
began to criticise me for not opening up new districts. I was not given 
land allocations because by the time I came I realise that my 
predecessor had given out some 27,000 plots of land. My view was that 
land is the capital, the oil of Abuja. So if all the land had been given
 out, there was little I could do. People didn’t realise that those 
obligations entered into by the previous regime were obligations that 
must be honoured. The contracts needed to be paid for. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />I’m glad to 
hear that the APC government is thinking of changing the <i>modus operandi</i> 
of the Federal Executive Council, where every Wednesday, FEC awarded 
contracts. A FEC should be like the one during the Balewa regime. It was
 always a meeting where policy matters were discussed. Expenditures were
 taken as a very last resort when approval is given by the president as a
 very last resort.  But because we are in an era of political patronage,
 people, even cabinet members, feel they need to know when contracts are
 awarded. Then, the constitution says that every state must have a 
minister. The ministers were largely sponsored by governors, so they 
don’t see the president as the one appointing them. Their allegiance is 
to their governors. But now, with the process of putting the president’s
 election before the governors,’ the governors will not hold the 
president to ransom with the argument that they helped the president to 
power. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />During the transition under Yar’Adua, we failed a real 
problem over governors’ prerogative in the appointment of ministers. The
 late president asked me to send out letters to governors, requesting 
each PDP to send in three people for consideration as ministers. He 
instructed that where the governor was PDP, the letter should be written
 directly to him; where there’s no PDP governor, it should be written to
 the chairman of the party, a copy sent to the PDP candidate that lost 
the election. When we did it and the return came back, we saw that the 
first names of each list were those of outgoing governors to be 
considered as minister. At first, he didn’t put any former governor as 
minister, but subsequently, he succumbed when he did the cabinet 
reshuffle. I’m sure the APC will go through that dilemma. Jonathan faced
 it, where all the outgoing governors wanted to be ministers or 
senators.  Hopefully, the APC will overcome that challenge.  If the 
president knows his ministers very well before he appoints them, it 
would make the job easier for him. That was what Obasanjo did the first 
time. He brought in people he knew very well - Bola Ige, T.Y Danjuma, 
Zango Daura, Adamu Ciroma, etc. Later on, he began to appoint younger 
elements into the regime.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>From hindsight, what kind of challenges do you expect Buhari to face when he assumes office on May 29?</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The
 most fundamental, in my view, will be his team in the State House. 
Whatever you may say, if you have a good team in the State House it will
 be implemented properly. State House is the clearing house of the 
presidency. If he makes the right appointment of all his immediate 
aides, he will succeed. If he wants to fight corruption, everybody in 
the State House must be above board; they must share the same ideal; 
they must not go cutting corners; he must not hear news of anyone of 
them doing the contrary. This is because that is the first frontline. 
The second frontline is that of an excellent SGF and NSA, and the third 
tier is the ministers. Nothing should be taken for granted. Even the 
cleaner in the State House, the gardener, secretary, chief of staff, 
permanent secretary, the media assistants. They must all buy into the 
mantra. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />When we used to work in the State House, we used to say our 
loyalty and allegiance was to the president, not to the wider 
bureaucracy. We were for him, to protect his image, to make sure his 
programmes were understood and implemented correctly. The other aspect 
the president-elect must understand clearly is that things have changed.
 So he must endeavour to understand the reality of the times. He must 
not use the template of 1983 to measure today. State House is not the 
same, ministries are not what they used to be. If I must give you an 
example, the first week Obasanjo came into office there was a FEC 
meeting, and usually, I would write my minute one or two days later. The
 meeting ended about 2.00pm, and Obasanjo called my boss at 5.00pm, 
saying he wanted to have the minute. I said I would give the minute to 
my boss tomorrow, but he said, no, Obasanjo told him that was not how 
they used to work in the past. What I’m saying is that there are good 
practices of the past that could be revived, but Buhari should realise 
that not all can be brought back. Again, during our time, no mistake was
 entertained in any written communication from the president’s office. 
But some time ago, a friend called me to say he had a letter written 
from the presidency, and that there were five mistakes in it. He was 
shocked. During our time, it was absolutely not possible. A letter 
passes through several checks, due diligence would be done before they 
were passed to the president for signing. So Buhari would need to ensure
 that due diligence is done before decisions are taken, particularly 
because this is one of the most popular mandates given to any government
 in this country. People are expecting a lot; they’re expecting miracles
 or magic. But as it is said, Rome is not built in a day. We wish the 
incoming administration every success. </div>
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The A-Z of Transition From One Government to Another - Dr Aliyu Modibo

Dr Aliyu Modibbo worked in The Presidency for over 12 years in various capacities. Later, he served as Minister in different ministr...

#ImoDecides #ImoRerun: Okorocha Wins Imo Guber Election Again

<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVARAbc0pUhDgD1ogNsaOrhN9rftZwjmujBwg1kp8lyZiAlMQtJ3oBRvtPtWWV_ZMe0Khm3C77-tEUtUd-_kN9JjMC0cOY_kXPuvR-ErbwZwjNK8kqiVJL83aKDvB7GNNJxDNmKf0iWNOg/s1600/Okorocha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVARAbc0pUhDgD1ogNsaOrhN9rftZwjmujBwg1kp8lyZiAlMQtJ3oBRvtPtWWV_ZMe0Khm3C77-tEUtUd-_kN9JjMC0cOY_kXPuvR-ErbwZwjNK8kqiVJL83aKDvB7GNNJxDNmKf0iWNOg/s1600/Okorocha.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
 <b>Owelle Rochas Okorocha, 
incumbent governor of Imo State, has been declared winner of the Imo 
state governorship election after Saturday’s supplementary effort.</b><br />
<br />

Okorocha, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled <b>
416,996</b> votes ahead of Emeka Ihedioha, current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was the candidate of the 
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled a total of <b>320,705</b> votes.<br />
<br />

As at the time when the Independent National Electoral Commission 
(INEC) declared the election of April 11 inconclusive, Okorocha was 
clearly ahead of Ihedioha and he expressed optimism of winning.<br />
<br />
 
“Not getting re-elected would mean that Imolites do not value the ‘Imo 
Rescue Mission’, which is not true,” he had told <b>Channels Television</b>.<br />
<br />
 When asked when he wanted the election to hold as INEC had not fixed any date then, his response was: “Tomorrow”.<br />
<br />
 The rescheduled poll held in four local government areas: Isiala Mbano, Isu, Oguta and Ikeduru.<br />
<br />

APC now has 20 states under its control, while PDP is tipped to win two
 more States in addition to the seven it won during the April 11 
election.<br />
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#ImoDecides #ImoRerun: Okorocha Wins Imo Guber Election Again

Owelle Rochas Okorocha, incumbent governor of Imo State, has been declared winner of the Imo state governorship election after Satu...

Buhari to Family Members: You're On Your Own If Caught Violating The Law

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kPf1hxmLr8pAw0Xra2eW1DF_UwZhbP6nuxFhWi9FEW9ucUoSb8mt0sQlipyOQmkxyVERtEDzP_zn3lPDJ8xLf3mqWZvG36UvnyCCCH03Jh1BY1ez06QDsdE0v4Kwm7pFKb6HZXskxyeh/s1600/GMB+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kPf1hxmLr8pAw0Xra2eW1DF_UwZhbP6nuxFhWi9FEW9ucUoSb8mt0sQlipyOQmkxyVERtEDzP_zn3lPDJ8xLf3mqWZvG36UvnyCCCH03Jh1BY1ez06QDsdE0v4Kwm7pFKb6HZXskxyeh/s1600/GMB+008.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The President-elect, General Muhammadu 
Buhari (rtd) has sounded a note of warning to his family members that he
 will not use his powers as president to protect any of them who broke 
the law, as he is set to assume the leadership of the country.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />A 
family member, who attended the meeting summoned by the president-elect,
 told <a href="http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/news/20525-fight-against-corruption-buhari-reads-riot-act-to-family-members"><b>DAILYTRUST</b></a> reporter at the weekend that the General was very firm and 
solemn when he spoke to his ward in his Daura country home in Katsina 
State.</div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
General
 Buhari addressed the members of the family, comprising of his children 
and other extended family members who look up to him, after he won the 
March 28 presidential election. He called for the solemn assembly in 
between his various meetings with well-wishers from various parts of the
 country who thronged his country home in order to congratulate him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />According
 to the member who spoke to our reporter, Buhari  made it very clear to 
his family that he would not protect them if they violated the country’s
 law, harping on the anti-corruption mantra, which is one of the reasons
 why he received massive votes during the presidential polls.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br />Sunday 
Trust</b> learnt further that he admonished his family members to seek 
meaningful means of earning a living, giving his life story as an 
example of how one could start life from a humble beginning and achieve 
great success in life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The president warned them against engaging in 
acts that would tarnish the image of the incoming administration, adding
 that family members who have no  legitimate business or who are not 
invited to the Aso Rock would be allowed  into the Presidential Villa.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />He
 also told them that he would not condone laziness from any member of 
the family. He advised them to work hard to earn a living, saying he 
worked very hard to become what he is today.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
  <br />He reminded them that
 Nigeria is a great country with numerous opportunities, adding that 
only the lazy ones would wallow in poverty.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />As a military Head of State, General Buhari became popular for his fight against corruption 
through the instrument of War Against Indiscipline. During that regime, a
 lot of corrupt Nigerians were arrested and jailed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />It would be 
recalled that during the campaigns for the presidential election, 
General Buhari, who is known for his zero tolerance to corruption and 
wastage of public funds, also promised to scrap the Office of the First 
Lady, though his wife, Aisha became involved in the campaign for his 
election.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />The president-elect, who will be sworn in on May 29, said 
that none of his family members would accompany him to Abuja without 
formal invitation. He, however, said they would have enough time with 
him whenever he is in Daura, adding that Aso Villa is meant for those 
who are ready to work, not idle family members.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Speaking in an 
earlier interview, the Vice-President-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo had
 said General Buhari would not spare anyone who is engaged in 
corruption, not even his family members.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Professor Osinbajo had said,
 “On the various issue of corruption, what General Buhari has said 
categorically is that as far as he is concerned, the day he is sworn-in 
as president, he would have drawn a line. Anybody who runs foul of the 
law, anything that is been investigated before will continue as it is.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />“If
 you are found to be corrupt, you will receive the consequence, no 
matter who you are. Whether you are his brother, sister, his friends 
there will be consequences. That is what he has said and I think that is
 in line with the position of the party.”</div>
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Buhari to Family Members: You're On Your Own If Caught Violating The Law

The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has sounded a note of warning to his family members that he will not use his pow...

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