We Are Determined To Return Lost Glory To Nigerian Varsities – Jonathan

… Urges Religious Tolerance To Foster Nation’s Growth 

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has restated his commitment to return ‎Nigerian universities to winning ways by ensuring they are rated among the top 500 in the world, stressing that the tertiary institutions will not just be big in population but in quality as well.

  The President has also identified religious tolerance as a panacea to peaceful coexistence and urged Nigerians to unite against terror as it does not represent any religious ideology.

  The President made the assertions when he granted audience to a delegation of serving and former leaderships of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

  On the delegation were past Presidents and Senate Presidents led by Senior Special Assistant on Youth Affairs, Jude Imagwe, himself a past NANS President.

  As a mark of appreciating the President for steering the ship of the nation, the NANS President, Yinka Gbadebo, decorated him as the Grand Commander of Nigerian Student‎s (GCNS).

  ‎The President, while thanking the students for the award and words of encouragement, said his administration would do more, noting that, “to whom much is given much is expected.”

  Jonathan said: “We must build Nigeria for the future of our children. We must build a Nigeria where by the time one of you will be on this seat in future, you should not be thinking of power supply.

  “We are committed to building infrastructure and manpower. That is why we have this special scholarship where every year we give 100 scholarships to Nigerians who have made First Class to study in any of the top 25 universities in the world.” 

  Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, said none of beneficiaries of the special scholarship so far were from Bayelsa or Kaduna states, the home states of President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo. 

  He noted that most of the beneficiaries were from the opposition states, adding that it clearly shows‎ the non-partisan, non-ethnic and non-religious nature of the President.

  Gbadebo in his remarks on behalf on NANS challenged the opposition who are challenging the performance of the Jonathan administration to a national debate.

  He said: “If all what we have said here today is not the truth, I want to challenge anybody in Nigeria to a public debate to come and debunk these things. We are now wiser and we would not be indoctrinated.

  “‎We have formed a group known as Nigerian Students Transformation Vanguard ‎(NSTV), to educate students of voting age to support good governance, pragmatic progress in the 2015 elections.”

  The students also used the occasion to appeal to President Jonathan to bridge the gap between HND holders and B.Sc ‎holders in the country.

 Speaking at the opening of the Fourth Unity Conference, organised by the Community and Youth Development (CYD) in Collaboration With Youth For Peace and Good Leadership Initiative (YPGLI), Jonathan, represented by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, called on the adherents of the two main religions to continue to live together in peace and harmony as enshrined in their Holy Books. 

2015: APC Elders Back Kwankwaso For Presidency

CITING what they called unprecedented achievements and infrastructural transformation in Kano, the Elders Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kano yesterday resolved unanimously to drum support for Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s presidential ambition. 

   In a Communiqué issued after their  meeting,  the APC elders upheld that in view of Kwankwaso’s impressive performance in the last three and half years, it is time to provide him the opportunity to oversee the affairs of Nigeria.

   Kwankwaso’s endorsement is coming at a time when the Northern Elders’ Council expressed confidence in the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan.

  In a Communique jointly signed by Ambassador Kabiru Rabi’u and Comrade Saleh Jili, Communiqué Chairman and Secretary respectively, the elders said: “The present regrettable and avoidable situation in which Nigeria finds itself today is what informed the state’s All Progressive Congress Elders Committee to meet and discuss the current leadership situation of the country and the way forward. It is apparent that the present ‘incompetent leadership’ of the country cannot bail Nigeria out of the woods.

   “In view of the ongoing scenario, the country deserves a better and more dynamic leader. The sought after leader must possess the following qualities: honesty, commitment, vision, strong character, experience, ability to communicate, courage and confidence, integrity, transparency and more importantly, a team player.

 “APC Elders Committee considers it necessary to invite the Kano State Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to contest the Presidential election come 2015 because he possesses  most of the qualities outlined above.”

   “In politics, Kwankwaso was elected member of House of Representatives representing Madobi Federal Constituency and was subsequently elected as Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives. He was also elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Conference, which fashioned out the Constitution that ushered in the Fourth Republic.

   “At the inception of the Fourth Republic, he contested and won the governorship ticket of Kano State, a position he held between 1999 and 2003. His first tenure ended with  remarkable development in the state. He was later appointed as Defence Minister in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and after his three-year tenure, he resigned to contest the Kano State gubernatorial election in 2007.

   “He was later appointed Presidential Special Envoy to Somalia and Dafur, just as he also served as a Board Member representing North-West at Niger-Delta Development Commission. Regrettably, he resigned his membership of the Board due to what he described as lack of transparency in the Commission.

  “In 2011, Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso contested the gubernatorial election and won to secure a second mandate as  Governor of Kano State, a position he is still holding to date. We therefore appeal to all patriotic Nigerians who are interested in the development and growth of the country, not to hesitate to come forward and support his candidature. We fervently count on your unflinching support”.

Nigeria to provide technical assistance to Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam

NIGERIA is to send volunteers to provide technical assistance to Brazil, Venezuela and Vietnam, the Director-General, Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC), Dr Pius Osunyikanmi has said.

Osunyikanmi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the volunteer programme, untill now, was restricted to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

He said many countries that had declined participation in the scheme were now renewing their agreements with Nigeria to continue their enlistment on the programme.

“The Technical Aid Corps (TAC) scheme, which is now operational in many of the ACP countries, has continued to grow both in scope and size.

“Indeed, many more countries within the ACP region and beyond have indicated interest in the programme and due consideration is being given to their respective requests by the directorate.

“Countries like Venezuela, Brazil and Vietnam that are traditionally outside the ACP regions have all indicated interest in the scheme.

“Likewise, TAC recipient countries such as Vanuatu, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, and Commonwealth of Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis that have earlier declined participation in the scheme are all renewing the TAC Country Agreement.

“South Sudan, the latest independent country in Africa, is working very intimately with the directorate to enable the scheme to take-off there in the nearest future”, he said.

Osunyikanmi said the directorate was giving consideration to all the countries that had requested for volunteers for technical assistance.

According to him, the widening scope and size of the programme is the result of diligent procedural management of its current recruitment.

The director-general explained that the scheme, which had been in operation since 1987, was designed as a foreign policy tool to garner goodwill for Nigeria.

Osunyikanmi said the scheme served as an enduring technical assistance scheme, which identified the use of the large pool of trained manpower available in Nigeria to enhance the socio-economic development of benefitting countries.

According to him, it is also to promote cooperation and understanding between the recipient countries and Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 1,500 volunteers are expected to be deployed to 32 countries as volunteers by the directorate in 2014. (NAN)

 

How Nigeria keeps Ebola at bay

FEARS that Africa’s most populous country would become a tinderbox for the disease have so far not come to fruition.

    Ebola is still running rampant in parts of West Africa. Over 1,500 people have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where authorities have risked unrest by imposing nationwide curfew and quarantine zones.

   But in nearby Nigeria, the government has largely contained Ebola in a single cluster traced back to the first imported case, and reported a total of only six deaths. The death of a doctor in Port Harcourt, in the south of the country, initially raised fears of a second outbreak when it was revealed on Thursday – but it soon emerged that his infection was also linked to the first Ebola case.

  Health experts say that while more Ebola cases can’t be ruled out, Nigerian authorities quickly and effectively reacted to contain the disease, tracking people who had contact with patients, conducting widespread testing and quarantining suspected victims. “The response of the government has been robust,” said John Vertefeuille, who leads the Nigeria Ebola response team of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

   Ebola arrived in Nigeria on July 20, when Liberian-American financial consultant Patrick Sawyer flew from Liberia to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. Sawyer collapsed at the airport and was taken immediately to hospital, reducing chances of infecting more people in Lagos, a city of more than 21 million people. 

   He infected a few people before he was isolated, as doctors didn’t initially suspect Ebola and didn’t take full precautions. All other confirmed cases were traced back to him; eight have recovered, with only one case still being treated in isolation.

  When the government realized Ebola had arrived on Nigerian soil, it acted quickly to coordinate international health organisations including the CDC, the World Health Organisation, and recently Médecins Sans Frontières. It invited those groups to “come to the table and… insert themselves into those structures that the government has formed,” said Vertefeuille.

  The work is divided into the management of confirmed cases who are treated in an isolation centre in Lagos, and epidemiology and contact tracing, key to containing the virus.

   Confirmed cases are treated in isolation, while those the victims made contact with pre-diagnosis are visited daily at their homes. If they develop symptoms, they too are taken to quarantine and tested. Nigeria began its programme of contact tracing with Sawyer, and currently has more than 100 people under surveillance in Lagos.

   But one man slipped through the net, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said Thursday. A Nigerian man who had contact with Sawyer developed symptoms and evaded surveillance, travelling to the oil industry hub of Port Harcourt last month, where he was treated by a doctor for his symptoms.

   The man recovered and returned to Lagos four days later, after a manhunt for him had begun. The doctor, however, had contracted the virus and died on August 22. The government has now begun contact tracing for him, and 70 people are now under surveillance there.

   The man who escaped surveillance was an isolated case, Chukwu said. The fact that most people being treated at hospital have survived and were soon discharged has encouraged people under surveillance to cooperate. “Initially when we started we had one or two stubborn cases, but now they’re all cooperating,” he said.

   As well as taking a rapid response approach to Ebola cases, the government has also been acting to stop the spread of misinformation about the disease. It has been issuing bulletins explaining how the disease spreads, and attempting to dispel rumours about unorthodox “cures” that have spread on the streets and on social media.

   Benjamin Akinola, a 65-year-old retired army officer, said he and his wife bathed with and drank water with salt after a rumour suggested it could prevent Ebola. They stopped after hearing on the radio that it led to the death of some people. “People stopped it, and this is what the government is telling us,” said Akinola.

The government has also been pushing for better personal hygiene practice. Guards at supermarkets, banks, restaurants, and clubs will often spray people’s hands with sanitizers before entering.

   The public relations operation seems to be working. Lawrence Obioha, a 43 year old newspaper seller in Lagos said initially fewer people attended his Sunday church service out of fear of Ebola. “Gradually it’s picking up,” he said. “There’s a lot of relief now that they know that at least there’s a response to treatment.”

  While fears that Africa’s most populous country would become a breeding ground for the disease have so far proven unfounded, officials in Nigeria are under no illusion that the virus has been stamped out. “We have not eliminated the disease. We have not eradicated it,” said Chukwu. Over 200 remain under observation, and the infection is still raging in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. The battle against Ebola will continue in Nigeria for some time yet.

   “This really could be a long and a hard fight,” said David Daigle, a spokesman for the CDC team on Ebola in Nigeria. “We’re optimistic, but we know that this is like a forest fire and if there’s just one ember left in place it could easily start back up.”

• Culled from TIME Magazine 

James Rodriguez voted sexiest man of 2014

The Colombian’s stratospheric rise to stardom – in which he outscored everyone at the World Cup this summer – has seen him been named the hottest person on the planet

James Rodriguez has been voted the sexiest man of 2014 following his World Cup heroics and estimated €80 million transfer to Real Madrid.

People En Espanol magazine awarded the title to the Colombia superstar, who recently launched his own range of branded underpants, after going from promising talent to global superstar overnight by grabbing the Golden Boot in Brazil this summer.

James’ wife insisted that his personality is what makes the attacking midfielder so alluring, not necessarily his boyish good looks – though it probably also helps that he earns more in a week than most people on the planet earn in a year!

“He’s a very attractive man,” Daniela Ospina said. “But what I most like is the way he is, his personality. It’s what I really love.”

Meanwhile, James’ mother insists that fame has not gone to the 23-year-old’s head and that he remains humble about his talent on the football pitch.

“He is still the same,” Maria del Pilar Rubio added. “What characterises him most is his humility, “

Past winners of the English language version of the award include Hollywood actors Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon and Ryan Reynolds.

The ‘sexiest man on the planet’ tag now gives James bragging rights in the Santiago Bernabeu dressing room over Cristiano Ronaldo, although the new Madrid player still has some way to be considered hotter than his Ballon d’Or-winning team-mate on the pitch.

Lost without Simeone & Mourinho? Diego Costa still struggling with Spain’s style

The Diego Costa experiment still isn’t working for Spain. The Brazil-born striker was recruited by coach Vicente del Bosque ahead of the World Cup to provide power, aggression and goals. But the 25-year-old continues to look a shadow of the player who has shone under both Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho, prompting many in Spain to question whether it will ever work out at all.

Costa changed allegiance to represent Spain over his native Brazil at the World Cup, but failed to net in two poor performances against Netherlands and Chile as Spain crashed out in the first round. His only meaningful contribution was to win a penalty in the opening game – and that looked like a clear dive.

The 25-year-old had made his debut for Spain in a friendly win over Italy in March, but struggled to find spaces in la Roja’s possession game. “We feel Diego Costa will gradually adapt to the team,” Del Bosque said afterwards. “Once he settles in, I’m sure he’ll bring a lot to the team.”

But the player ended the domestic season with a hamstring injury and, after failing to convert in a 2-0 friendly win over El Salvador, looked short of both fitness and form at the World Cup, failing to link up effectively with Spain’s midfielders in Brazil.

“It would also be very easy to say that Diego Costa didn’t work out,” Simeone wrote in one of his columns for Goal as a Sony ambassador during the World Cup. “Spain were used to playing at one rhythm and one pace, while Costa offers other characteristics. If you don’t take advantage of Costa’s runs, you isolate him. He likes to exploit the spaces, to attack from deep positions and to get on the end of final passes, but Spain’s football focuses more on the collective.”

Under Simeone, Costa scored 36 goals in 52 appearances in 2013-14 and the striker has continued that fantastic form at Chelsea following his summer switch to Stamford Bridge, netting four in his first three Premier League outings for the Blues.

And Mourinho is thrilled with his summer signing, claiming Costa understands his tactics despite his very limited command of the English language.

“He only speaks about 10 words of English,” the Portuguese said recently. “But football-wise, he understands, especially in meetings, with videos, my comments and so on. I think he goes in the direction I want him to go. He’s a very clever guy.”

That understanding, however, is still lacking with Spain.

Atletico and Chelsea play deeper and attack with pace to exploit spaces further forward, whereas Spain look to strangle sides with possession and pressing high up the pitch. That makes it difficult for strikers to find the gaps and to make the right runs. “I really want to score for Spain,” Costa said on Thursday. “Our game is to have the ball a lot, to have a lot of possession. I am aware I [still] have to adapt to them.”

But Spain must also adapt to the striker as well and Del Bosque admitted as much after the France defeat. “We need to connect more with Costa,” he said. “We need to understand him better.”

That will have to wait, however, as the Chelsea forward has now been ruled out of Monday’s match against Macedonia with a hamstring problem.

There will be more chances, of course, with Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg to come in October. But the first five fixtures have brought largely disappointing displays from the striker and the jury is still very much out on whether Costa can replicate the superb club form he has shown under Simeone and Mourinho in Spain’s Tiki taka style.

Allegation against me frivolous, unfounded – Ihejirika

The immediate past  Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejika has described the allegation of sponsorship of the Boko Haram sect leveled against him by Dr. Stephen Davis as frivolous and unfounded.

According to him, it was meant to divert the attention of the country and its security agencies from  the challenges posed by the sect.

Speaking with journalists at the National Defence College, Abuja on Friday, Ihejirika warned against giving undue attention to what he called frivolous and baseless accusations.

According to him, such allegation would have been dismissed if it were to have been made in a developed  country like the United States or the United Kingdom.

The insurgents, he said, were exploiting the country’s diverse ethnic, religious and other fault lines to wage war against the nation, adding that the war has now taken a media dimension.

He stated that some people considered his handling of the counter insurgency campaign high handed, during his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, but said he owed such people no apologies.

Said he: “If this accusation was made in a country like US or UK, it would not be discussed for one hour because they would wave it aside; but they are exploiting our traditional fault lines ,  a multi-religious multi ethnic, multi-cultural and young democracy, so what they have tried to do is aimed at achieving what they could not achieve…

“I have chosen to do this because we cannot allow national security to be toyed with; the need for security awareness in spite of the effort I put in at time and the effort being put by the current leadership of the Armed Forces, the need for security awareness still persists.

“I want to urge all Nigerians to join hands to support Mr. President and members of the Armed Forces in their onerous task to rid this country of terrorism.

“I want to further advise that baseless, unfounded and frivolous allegations like this have the capacity of diverting our attention, away from the main problem.

“Nigeria must exist before you can hold a single political office and there is no compromise in the effort to have a peaceful and united Nigeria. Therefore, I have no apologies at all whatsoever to those who thought I was high handed.

“I used to explain to them that the Nigerian Army is not high handed, but every Army makes a lot of efforts to ensure that its troops operate within the rule of engagement”.

The ex-Army Chief said the Nigerian Army under his leadership recruited 9000 soldiers in 2013 to beef up the strength of the military and to monitor the borders more effectively.

He urged Nigerians to avoid utterances that could bring down the morale of Nigerian troops, a situation which he warned, could be dangerous.

According to him, the allegation made against him by Davis should have been a subject of discuss if the citizenry had a better knowledge of the strategy and tactics employed by terrorists;  and that if politics in the country was mature enough.

He maintained that the terrorists were waging a media warfare to achieve what they have not been able to achieve through violence.

“That we are where we are today is a lesson to us. The lesson is that  the terrorists are not sleeping; what they cannot achieve through bombing they want to achieve through media warfare.

“War is no longer fought in the traditional three dimension of air, land and sea; we have clearly seen the fourth dimension of warfare”, he stated.

Ihejirika said he was unruffled by the attention given to the allegation because of his belief that “we are yet to come to terms with the motives of the terrorists and their desire to bring this nation down”.

NATION

How Cameroun arrested, released Sheriff – Falana

Lagos based human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, yesterday, revealed how Former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff was arrested in 2012 by the Cameroonian government for the crime committed by the deadly Boko Haram sect.

Meantime, ahead of the 2015 election, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor Tam David-West, Professor Akin Oyebode and Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, have, unanimously, urged Nigerians to wake up from their slumber and use the next year’s election to bring relief to their unwholesome circumstances.

Falana and other eminent personalities spoke at the 5th Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Lecture, titled; ‘State of the Nation and 2015 general elections: Issues, posers and challenges before us, held in Lagos.

“In October 2012, Sheriff was arrested in Cameroun on crime committed by the Boko Haram he sponsored. The state government pleaded with the Camerounian government to release him because he is a well known man here and he cannot be arrested.” Falana stated.

The Lagos based lawyer said that the former governor was not sincere in his relationship with the Boko Haram sect in the country.

Sue me not Davis

He however, asked Sheriff to sue him rather than planning to seek redress in court by suing the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davies, even as he reaffirmed that Sheriff sponsored of the Boko Haram activities.

This came few days after Sheriff said he would seek redress in court by suing the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davies, who recently fingered him as one of the sponsors of the Boko Haram insurgency. According to Falana, “I am expecting Senator Ali Madu Sheriff to sue me. I heard that he wanted to sue an Australian (Dr. Steven Davies). He doesn’t need that. He should sue me. I am waiting for him to sue me. Not only did he fund that organization (Boko Haram), he also had a deal with them.” He noted that Sheriff cannot denial all the allegations made against him, saying. “In 2003, he had a deal with the Boko Haram leaders to help him win the election and that if he wins his re-election, he will compensate the organization.

\When he won the election, he appointed one of them as Commissioner for Religious Affairs to implement Sharia in that state.”

He however, accused the Federal Government of shielding certain facts from its citizens.

Falana said “The Federal Government is yet to react to the statement by Dr. Stephen Davies against Sheriff. I expect the central government to have made its position known on the issue.”

The lawyer therefore, called for concerted effort to tackle the menace of Boko Haram, saying, “People’s Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC should stop politicizing the Boko Haram issue but what is important is unity to tackle the menace”

In his remarks, David-West lamented the nefarious activities of Boko Haram sect in the country, saying, “We do not have a nation. If we have a nation, the problem confronting the country will have been resolved earlier than now.”

He added, “In fact, we are not at crossroad but we have missed the road. There is no road at the moment for the country to attain greatness.”

Explaining the reason for the longevity of the challenges facing the country, David-West said, “What do you expect from a country ruled by a Ph.d holder who said that 16 is greater than 19. The country when the president budget N1 billion for food in a year and cannot pay N18, 000 minimum wage. Daily I have begun to lose faith in our election and leadership.

ON 2015 ELECTION

David -West dispelled the claim that the country will fail to exist after 2015 election, saying, “we will not break in 2015.”

But he said “The citizens need to wake up from their slumber. We are too complacent and this was the reason why the current public office holders take the citizens for granted.

He continued; “Election affords citizens the opportunity to change government which they do not like. I do not believe in revolution but the citizens must go on the street to stop bad government. If 2015 election will be selection rather than election, Nigerians must rise up to stop it. It has to be election and not selection.”

Oyebode while delivering his lecture said the power to change any government resides in the citizens. “And this they can do through their vote.”.

According to him, “The 2015 election constitute yet another opportunity for Nigerians to see themselves as master in the political game rather than servants of the governing class.”

VANGUARD

FG fixes school resumption for Sept 22

The Federal Government has directed all public and private primary and secondary schools to reopen on Monday, September 22, 2014.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who said this on Friday in Abuja while briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting with State Commissioners for Education, stated that preliminary measures put in place to curb the spread of Ebola Virus Disease is still intact.

Shekarau said that any State Ministry of Education that had not appointed designated desk officers on Ebola information should do so urgently before the resumption date. He urged state governments to support their state Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of the preventive measures.

The minister said, “We have now agreed that primary and secondary schools both public and private will reopen and begin formal classes on Monday, 22 September 2014. While this is in place, we have decided to continue the preventive measure.

“All primary and secondary schools, both public and private should be provided with a minimum of two blood pressure measuring equipment by the State Ministries of Education. The state ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education.

“The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment is procured. Those states that have not complied with this agreement should please do so.

“State governments are called upon to support their state Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures. Regular washing of the hands is part of the preventive measures. There must be steady supply of water in schools. All states should ensure that this is put in place as the schools reopen.”

Shekarau urged all state Ministries of Education to establish a working and monitoring team for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools.

According to him, each state Ministry of Education should appoint a designated desk officer who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the commissioner on situation in the schools.

“The names of such desk officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education,” he added.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health.

PUNCH

Confab report: FG sets up implementation committee

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the composition of a committee to study and draw up the implementation strategy for the recently concluded 2014 National Conference.

A terse statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Assistant Director (Press) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Oise Johnson, named the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, as chairman while the SGF, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim, will serve as secretary.

Other members of the committee are the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar; Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda; Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka; Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory Administration, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen

The committee’s terms of reference include studying the report of the 2014 National Conference; articulating the recommendations therein and developing appropriate strategies for its implementation and advising the Federal Government on all matters necessary for the effective implementation of the report.

The statement asked the committee to take off immediately.

PUNCH