Buhari extends vacation, writes NASS

 Your government too slow, ACF tells President

 Even with angels, Nigerians‘ll complain – Adesina

By Abdullahi M. Gulloma, Abuja, AbdulRaheem Aodu, Kaduna and Agboola Bayo, Ibadan

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his vacation in the United Kingdom.
Buhari left the country some two weeks ago, and was expected back in the country yesterday to resume duties today.
However, a statement yesterday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the President has communicated to the National Assembly for extension of his vacation.
The statement was, however, silent on how many days extension President Buhari’s request would cover.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.
“The President had planned to return to Abuja this evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.
“Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.”

ACF faults President’s ‘slow pace’
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has decried the slow pace of the federal government’s projects.
It also called for an urgent review of the privatisation of Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria, as well as policies that would encourage investments in renewable energy to improve the poor power supply across the country.
These were some of the highpoints of the ACF’s National Executive Committee meeting, presided over by its Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande, in Kaduna at the weekend.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Muhammad Ibrahim, the group urged that provision be made in the 2017 budget to complete projects that are of economic values and with direct bearing on the lives of the people.
It said: “The meeting noted with serious concern the slow pace of work on some federal government projects that are of economic value and have direct bearing on the lives of the people. Projects like completion of Baro Port Terminal, the Mambilla Power Project, the Kano-Maiduguri Dual Carriage Way, Kano-Lagos Railway, and many others.

“It therefore calls on the government and the National Assembly to appropriate adequate funds in the 2017 budget for the completion of these projects. The meeting noted the abysmally low power generation and erratic power supply being experienced nationwide. It therefore questioned the wisdom of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company (PHCN) and also the capacity of the private entrepreneurs that bought the power generation and distribution outfits.
“The regular excuses of shortage of gas supply, low water level, vandalization of installations, lack of spare parts etc, which have continued to be given as reasons for poor power supply over the years, are no longer tenable.

“The new owners of the generation plants and the distribution outfits were expected to have complimented Federal Government’s huge investments by injecting more funds and expertise that will improve performance at minimum cost to the consumers.
“ACF therefore calls on the Federal Government to take necessary and practical steps that will improve the power supply, including reviewing the privatization. Government should also put in place policy framework that will encourage investments in the renewable energy sector, (solar and coal) to compliment the thermal and hydro generating plants.”

On the security challenges in the region, “the meeting commended the efforts of the Nigerian military and the security agencies in tackling the insecurity situation with its limited personnel and equipment.
“It however noted the on-going recruitment exercise into the various security organizations, Military, Air Force, Police Force, Para-military agencies, which will ultimately strengthen the security outfits, and urged the youth to avail themselves of this opportunity.”

The meeting also “noted with dismay the recurrent ethnic/religious and farmers/herdsmen clashes in Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa and other states, and resolved to visit the affected communities to commiserate with them over the unfortunate killings and destruction of property. It will also mediate between the warring factions with a view to finding an amicable solution to the conflict.
“It noted that the proposed Northern Security Summit to be held in April, being supported by the Northern States Governors Forum, will, to a larger extent, address causes of these conflicts and proffer enduring solutions.

“The meeting also applauded the federal government’s policy on food security which encourages investment in agriculture and calls on our farmers to avail themselves of the revolving funds set aside by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial institutions. Nigeria’s dependence on imported rice has not only deflated our foreign reserve and enriched other countries, but has made us to abandon our potential greatness in agriculture.
“ACF therefore calls on the government at all levels, to encourage our farmers to form cooperative societies in order to enjoy the agricultural facilities being provided by the financial institutions. Farmers should also endeavour to reciprocate the government’s gesture by promptly paying back the loans granted them to sustain the revolving fund.”

Adesina slams critics
But the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has faulted critics of the administration, saying some Nigerians “will always complain, even if angels come to rule Nigeria”.
Adesina stated this at the weekend in Ibadan, while featuring on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State BCOS “AM 120” programme monitored by our reporter.
He declared that those who believed in free money while in government will always find one complain or the other against the government

The presidential spokesman emphasized that the present antagonism, hatred and malice against the present government in the country, cannot be the best option for Nigerians and Nigeria as a country, but that Nigerians should continue to cooperate with the government.
“In Nigeria today, you have a large number of people who seem not to forget that the 2015 elections have gone and have been won. The other group is the group that will always complain, even if angels come to rule Nigeria, they will always complain, they will complain. Then you have people who believe in free money, there is no more free money, those people will also join the protest”.

While urging Nigerians to continue cooperating with the government, Adesina lamented that the presence of social media which supposed to be for social mobilisation, has been abused by many Nigerians.
“It depends on the way social media is being used. Social media is a tool for social mobilisation when used in good ways. Some people are using social media for malice.
“You must tell yourself I am going to be responsible, if they want to make legislation on social media now, people will say that it is tyranny.”

He emphasized that Nigerians expected President Buhari to change things overnight, forgetting that the administration has a mandate of forty eight months, and that “change is manifesting and it will continue gradually.
“Change is both tangible and intangible; there are many ways that change is manifesting both tangible and intangible. There is less impunity now. So, you have intangible change, yes people are going through economic crises, but yet things will turn around. We will exit recession this year, the World Bank has said it, the government has said it.”