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Wike Hails Buhari’s Proactive Efforts At Defeating Terrorists …Donates N100m To Empower Veteran Servicemen As President, Vice Lay Final Wreaths In Office
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for his sustained efforts at defeating the Boko Haram insurgents and bandits terrorising and destroying parts of the country.
This is even as President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, led other senior members of the government, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to participate in their final Wreath Laying in office that marked the climax of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration.
Wike made this commendation at the Government House, Port Harcourt, after the wreath laying ceremony to mark the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Isaac Boro Park, yesterday.
The governor noted that after the civil war broke out a few years after independence, the armed forces were forced to quell the ensuing rebellion, which ended after three gruesome years of internecine warfare.
He added that ever since then, there was hardly a year when members of the armed forces have not been assigned to one bloody combat mission or the other either within or outside the country.
The armed forces, he said, have also been at war with Boko Haram and other armed insurgents in the North-West and North-East of the country for over 10 years, and the “unknown gunmen” in the South-East of the country.
“I commend our President, Muhammadu Buhari, for his sustained efforts at defeating the Boko Haram insurgents and bandits terrorising and destroying our communities in parts of our country. The restoration of peace to our troubled geo-political regions, and the conduct of free and fair general election are the best legacies you can live for our country.
“As leaders, our goal must be one Nigeria, one destiny, and the challenges of building a more fair, inclusive and just society are not beyond us. Therefore, I will not relent in my prayers to God to enable Mr President and other leaders of our country to succeed in our mission and commitments to our country.”
Wike asserted that a grateful country honours her armed forces’ extraordinary bravery and courage during their service and the sacrifices of their families for the common good.
According to him, many members of the armed forces had paid the maximum price or been maimed while fighting in the numerous battles to achieve tactical victories over the enemies of the country and world peace.
“We respect them for the dangerous professional path they willingly chose, and love them as our children, relations, friends and members of our communities in the nation’s service.
“But they loved us more and even more significantly as fellow Nigerians by risking their lives, health, family and future on the battlefields to defend and protect us from harm’s way in return for almost nothing.
“We owe them a great deal as a nation. We owe them as states. We owe them as a people. Collectively, we owe them a debt we cannot repay.
“The much we can do on this day is to extoll their virtues, commemorate their sacrifice, and honour their heroic exploits so that they would never be forgotten for putting their lives on the line for us and others to live.”
The governor maintained that the country must move beyond today’s courtesies, speeches and parades to consider the families, including the innocent women and children directly devastated and thrown into untold hardship by the death or incapacitation of their breadwinners at the battlefield.
This, he said, calls for prioritising the welfare and well-being of the armed forces in and out of service, and their families with a concrete social security package, including prompt payment of terminal benefits and some form of economic security for the widows and their under-aged children.
He recommended that those suffering from various health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorders, should have the best healthcare and attention from the public purse.
“As a state government, we have, over the years, provided financial support to our veterans through the state Office of the Nigerian Legion. We have since redeemed the N50million pledge we made during the remembrance emblem appeal fund launch in December, 2022.
“Today, I wish to donate the sum of N100million on behalf of the state government for the economic empowerment of the veteran servicemen from Rivers State.”
The governor appealed to well-meaning public and private individuals and organisations to contribute to improving the social and economic well-being of the legionnaires, and the wives and children of the fallen ex-servicemen.
In his remarks, Rivers State Chairman of Nigerian Legion, ACG Justice O. Chichi, commended Wike for the extraordinary kindness, which the Rivers State Government has always shown towards the welfare and support of veterans and the families of fallen heroes.
“My colleagues, widows and dependents of our fallen heroes, particularly the beneficiaries of your scholarship, have asked me to raise my voice and tell you a very big thank you, for the leader in you. We will forever be grateful to Your Excellency.”
Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, led other senior members of the government, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to participate in the final Wreath Laying Ceremony in office to mark the climax of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.
The President, who arrived at the National Arcade, Abuja, at 10:05 am, was immediately ushered onto the saluting dais for the National Salute.
Buhari, who inspected the Guards of Honour, accompanied by the Commander, Brigade of Guards, Major General Muhammad Takuti Usman, later proceeded to the Cenotaph for the Wreath Laying Ceremony.
After the President, other dignitaries that laid wreaths were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Others, who laid wreaths, included the Ministers of Defense, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd); Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello; the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor; and other service chiefs,including the Inspector-General General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
The rest were representatives of members of the Diplomatic Corps; and the pair of the chairman of the Nigerian Legion and a widow of a fallen officer.
The President, who also performed the symbolic freeing of white doves out of cage during the event, had the 2023 wreath laying ceremony as his last as Commander-in-Chief.
Also in attendance were members of the Federal Executive Council, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd); and permanent secretaries, amongst others.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
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