President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has told the outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari, that even if he runs to the Niger Republic, he should expect a knock on his door.
Tinubu stated this on Thursday while receiving an investiture as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic from the outgoing president preparatory to his installation as Nigeria’s president on May 29.
The vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima also received the title of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger.
Buhari had said while commissioning the new national headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday that he had maintained a good relationship with the neighbouring countries since he became president, adding “If you disturb me after I leave government, I will run to the Niger Republic.”
Although he received knocks from some sections of the country, Tinubu pointed out on Thursday that even if the president were to run to the French speaking African country, he should expect a knock on his door as he would seek help in addressing the challenges in the country.
The former Lagos State Governor said, “I understand the magnitude of the national honour bestowed on me today and the task ahead
“Wherever you run to, expect a knock on your door,” Tinubu said.
He promised that, “We are determined whether in agriculture or economy or power, we must make progress, the people deserve no less
I shall not disappoint you,” he added.
Buhari said Tinubu must develop the political will to address corruption that “has eaten deep into the country.”
While stating that he believed Tinubu and his second in command would not disappoint, he however said there’s enormous challenges confronting the country and he must gird his loins to arrest them.
The president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Thursday, disclosed how Chief Edwin Clark and Chief Ayo Banjo influenced his decision to accept to lead Ohanaeze.
Chief Clark is the national leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) while Chief Ayo Adebanjo (95) is the leader of Afenifere.
According to Chief Iwuanyanwu, the two renowned nanogenarians’ activism in leading their respective nationals at 96 and 95 respectively challenged him to take up the leadership of Ohanaeze. Recall that Chief Iwuanyanwu was unanimously elected the Ohanaeze PG to serve off the era of Prof George Obiozor, erstwhile president general of Ohanaeze who died last year.
Chief Iwuanyanwu disclosed this in a statement issued by Dr Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze’s national publicity secretary, to felicitate Chief Clark as he marks his 96th birthday today.
In his words, “If Clark and Adebanjo at above ninety can render selfless services in pursuit of equity and justice for the Igbo nation, it will be inexcusable for me, at 81, to abandon my people when they needed me most.”
Ogbonnia quotes Iwuanyanwu further as saying that ‘Chief Clark is one of the first persons that envisioned that for Nigeria to have peace and sustainable national development, the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be zoned to the South East’.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, in the release, commended ‘the courage, unwavering support and steadfastness demonstrated by Chief Clark in particular and the SMBLF in general for the achievements recorded by the Obi-Datti movement in the 2023 presidential election.”
Ohanaeze, in the release, prayed that Chief Clark ‘remain as fit as a fiddle for many more years to come to harvest the fruit of his lofty dreams for a united, stable and prosperous Nigeria.
‘She Absconded For 21 Days’ — Lagos Police React As Female Officer Claims She Was Detained For Resigning
AdminFauzziyah Ebunoluwa, a female police officer attached to the Lagos Police Command has decried her detention by the police after notifying the force of her resignation.
Ebunoluwa, popularly known as an Apiculturist/Beekeeper, works in the religious department of the Command.
She narrated her ordeal in a series of tweets shared at about 1.07 am on Thursday, saying she was detained without interrogation and denied toiletries.
The police authorities in Lagos had allegedly asked Ebunoluwa to report to the Command on Wednesday to meet with the Deputy Commissioner for an interview, unbeknown to her she would be detained.
“I never saw this coming. I have never thought I’ll be put in detention without interrogation. All I did was try to resign. I have been trying to resign from the Police since last year but my letters were not approved.
“My boss had called me to show up yesterday 24th of May to meet the Deputy commissioner for an interview. I thought they were finally going to approve my resignation but the only words I heard was that I should be detained to be tried and dismissed.
“Due to the shock, I couldn’t say anything as the officer led me away. Later, I heard that I should have begged and cried but my lack of reaction worsened the matter. I cried a river after it all dawned on me.
“I have not taken my clothes and shoes off since yesterday. I can’t even change my sanitary pad. My migraine is throbbing at full speed and my head is about to Explode from exhaustion.
“My mother has called that she has been advised to come and plead that I will continue working. I have been working for 6 years and I think it is fair to let someone go and aid them to leave if they do not want to stay anymore.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be here for but I really need to sleep. If the women at the provost office had not given me some Paracetamol yesterday afternoon, I may not have survived until now. I don’t know how long I will be here for but I’ll appreciate a blanket with sanitary pad.
“The cold is about to snuff my life out. As I sit here through the night and the mosquitos hum in my ears. I keep talking to them to ask them why someone who could have stamped my letter and put me through on what to do will have me held down and humiliated instead.,” her tweets read.
The officer’s disclosure has generated over 723,000 engagements on Twitter as Nigerians demand an explanation from the Lagos Police Command.
Consequently, the Command’s spokesperson, Ben Hundeyin, said Ebunoluwa is being detained for absconding from duty for 21 days without leave or permission, adding such an act was a “flagrant disregard for the conditions of service she willingly signed to”.
He noted, “It is one thing to turn in your resignation. It is another thing for the application to be processed, upon which you receive your discharge certificate. Till you get the discharge certificate, you remain a serving member of the Force, bound by all extant rules and regulations of service”.
Hundeyin confirmed that Ebunoluwa will commence her orderly room trial on Thursday for indiscipline and maliciously bringing the “name of the Force into disrepute by distorting/misrepresenting facts – a discreditable conduct that amounts to another disciplinary offence”.
Constitutional lawyer, Chief Itse Sagay, has said nothing can stop the inauguration of President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, 2023.
He said everything has been put in place for his inauguration and it will go on irrespective of the call by his opponents for postponement.
In a chat with Daily Trust, Sagay, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), faulted those who called for the conclusion of the cases at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal before Tinubu would be sworn in.
He said previous presidents were sworn in immediately, despite having pending cases before the tribunal, adding the goalpost should not be changed in the case of Tinubu.
Sagay also lashed at the proponents of an Interim National Government (ING), saying anyone talking about that is planning a coup and should be arrested because according to him an ING is unconstitutional and can only happen under a military government.
He said, “Obasanjo (former President Olusegun Obasanjo) was sworn-in when cases against him were on. Yar’Adua (late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua) was sworn-in when cases against him were on. Jonathan (former President Goodluck Jonathan) was sworn-in when the cases challenging his election were still on. Jonathan conceded defeat and did not challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s election.
“So what is so different about Tinubu that in his own case, at any cost, he must not be sworn-in until the cases are over? Is he not a Nigerian? Are we not operating under the same constitution?
“So what is all the noise about him? It is all baseless. People can hate as much as they like but it cannot affect the law and the processes established in the constitution.”
He said the argument about securing 25 percent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is irrelevant.
“All you need is to score 25 percent in 25 states and he has 25 percent in 29 states. So that is totally irrelevant. The Federal Capital Territory has no special status as far as that is concerned, it is just like a state.”
On ING, he said, “ING is not in the constitution. It is not possible. It can only happen under a military regime unless those who are talking now are planning a coup. Anyone who talks about this is planning a coup, he should be arrested.”
He tasked the President-Elect to, on assumption of office, focus on insecurity and work hard to make “the country safe again.”
President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima have been conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic(GCFR) and Grand Commander of Order of the Niger(GCON) respectively.
The investiture is ongoing at the State House Conference Center in Abuja.
The event is part of the activities lined up for the May 29 inauguration ceremony, where Tinubu will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
After the investiture, there would be the handover of transition documents to Tinubu and Shettima.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that all ministers in his cabinet serve until May 29, when President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in as his successor.
Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, confirmed this on Wednesday.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has also not been dissolved, according to Mohammed.
Speaking with state house correspondents, he said: “I just want to make this clarification. While we were at the chambers there was a false breaking news that the federal executive council has been dissolved, which is not correct,” Lai said.
“As a matter of fact, we have been directed by the president that we should all go back and return to our offices. So it is not true that the federal executive council has been dissolved, it is still very much alive.
“We have all been directed to go back to our offices and ensure that we continue to work right to the end of May 29. So please ignore the fake news.”
The last two schoolgirls abducted from the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri (FGC) by terrorists have regained their freedom after 707 days in captivity.
The two girls namely Faida Sani Kaoje and Safiya Idris were released in the early hours of Thursday.
According to the report, they were released after intensive negotiations by a special committee set up by their families and well-wishers, with the leadership of the bandits to ensure quick release from their captors.
Dogo Gide, a notorious bandit kingpin, had insisted that some conditions must be met by the Kebbi State Government before the remaining girls can regain their freedom.
On April 22, 2023, four Yauri female students with two babies were released after payments of a huge ransom to Dogo Gide were made.
On May 7, three other girls namely, Elizabeth Ogechi Nwafor, Esther Sunday and Aliya Abubakar, regained their freedom from their captors.
A source explained that the release of the abducted girls was effected after a huge ransom was generated by their parents and other stakeholders when the Kebbi State Government was reluctant to meet the bandits’ demands.
According to him, “The parents had to beg Nigerians to come to their aid financially in order to rescue their children from their abductors.”
He added that in a letter addressed to Nigerians in January 2023, the group known as “Committee of Parents of 11 Abducted Students of FGC Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria,” solicited financial assistance towards raising the sum of N100 million as ransom to be paid to the terrorists, in exchange for their wards.
Salim Ka’oje and Mr. Daniel Alkali, the chairman and Secretary of the ‘Committee of Parents, explained that their female children (aged between 12-16 years) had been in the custody of their abductors for about 20 months now.
Eleven girls were abducted from the school in June 2021.
The Department of State Services (DSS) said it is aware of plans by subversive elements to disrupt the inauguration of the next President and Governors on May 29 across the country.
Spokesman of the Service, Dr Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Thursday, said the aim is to undermine security agencies’ efforts at ensuring peaceful ceremonies as well as creating panic and fear among members of the public.
The Service advised Nigerians to adhere strictly to security and civil protocols during the events.
Afunanya added that unauthorised (and unaccredited) persons are warned to stay away from restricted and certain designated areas at the event venues.
The statement reads: “It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC) on 18th May, 2023 held a World Press Conference during which he announced activities for the Presidential inauguration.
“The major highlight of the activities is the swearing-in of the President on 29th May, 2023 in Abuja. On the same date, new Governors will also be inaugurated in most of the States.
“The Service is, however, aware of plans by subversive elements to disrupt the programmes in parts of the country. The aim is to undermine security agencies’ efforts at ensuring peaceful ceremonies as well as creating panic and fear among members of the public.
“Based on these, citizens, the media and Civil Society Organisations are advised to adhere strictly to security and civil protocols during the events. They are also urged to shun fake news, false alarms, skewed reportage/narratives and sensationalism that may likely inflame division, tension and violence prior to and after the exercises. This is more so that such undesirable acts will serve no purpose other than destroying national unity and cohesion.
“Additionally, all unauthorised (and unaccredited) persons are warned to stay away from restricted and certain designated areas at the event venues.
“The Service reiterates its earlier call for the populace to remain calm and law abiding. Meanwhile, it will continue to sustain collaboration with sister agencies to ensure successful inaugurations.”
Nigerians, according to the Federal Government, can now request that their commercial banks issue them a debit card that also serves as their national identity card.
Prof Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, made the announcement in Abuja on Wednesday. He stated that this issuance is free of charge.
Pantami stated that the approval was obtained at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He stated that the approval came as a result of a memo from the National Identity Management Commission that authorised banks to print multipurpose debit cards that also functioned as National identity cards.
The Minister explained that” It is going to be a form of multipurpose card where it will serve as your national identity card on one hand and also your bank card on the other hand, either Mastercard, Visa or any other kind of card.”
According to Pantami, although the NIMC Act 2007 only mandates Nigerians to have a National Identity Number and not necessarily a printout card, demands for cards have swelled nonetheless.
“As in the NIMC Act 2007, section 27, what is mandatory for our citizens and legal residents is the acquiring of the National Identity Number, not the card. However, the card is optional.
“But many citizens, particularly those living in rural communities, always go to NIMC offices complaining that they need the card at hand, even though it’s optional.
“To make it easier, NIMC last year, we introduced a smart ID card you can download from NIMC app. It is just a smart card. You don’t need to have it physically, but that is becoming difficult for our people living in rural communities.”
To ease the difficulty, Pantami said NIMC had partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria ”so that citizens who are interested in having a card at hand can easily go to the relevant banks.”
According to him, the bank is permitted to print the card along with either a Mastercard or Visa card.
”It is going to be a form of multipurpose card that will serve as your national identity card on one hand and also your bank card on the other. And based on the agreement, it is without any additional costs on our citizens.
“So when you apply for a card at your bank, you can indicate that ‘I want this card to be multiple purposes where it will serve as my bank card and also my national identity card’.
”Both of them are going to be printed on the same card and it is going to serve the same purposes without any additional costs.”
The Minister disclosed that NIMC and the CBN signed a nondisclosure agreement to protect the privacy and confidentiality of card applicants. He assured of the privacy and confidentiality of card users.
Pantami further stated that, when a person requests for the card, the bank will need to connect to the NIMC through their database.
He said that afterwards, the bank verifies the person’s details which must be in tandem with the record in the NIMC database. Then, the card will be printed immediately for the user.
The Minister also said that FEC also approved a memo proposing the deployment of an automated system to integrate NINs with individual SIM cards.
The system, he noted, would consolidate the implementation of the NIN-SIM linkage.
He said, “As we all know that previous administrations made efforts to verify NIN and SIM starting from 2011 without success.
”In February 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the implementation of the policy and the revised version of the policy was also launched and unveiled by Mr. President on May 6, 2021.
“As it stands today, the NIN and SIM policy registration is being implemented. In order to consolidate the implementation.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission came up with a proposal that will enhance the implementation of the policy and bring many more benefits to it.”
Pantami said the automated system would sanitise the database and ease the process of SIM replacement for Nigerians or legal residents.
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, has revealed that the CBN had given out about N8 trillion in interventions to the private sector in the last five years.
Emefiele made this revelation while speaking at the end of the 291st Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “In the last four to five years, we have done about N8 trillion in interventions to the private sector of the economy. The loans have been granted for 10 years, with a two-year moratorium and at single digit”.
The CBN boss disclosed, however, that going forward, the apex bank would reduce its quasi-fiscal activities.
Meanwhile, as the Dangote Refinery set to deliver its first products in July, Emefiele said that the refinery would be persuaded to sell foreign exchange earnings to banks at a good rate.
Emefiele said his team would engage the promoter of the refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to ensure that Nigerians benefitted from the venture, adding that the CBN, the Federal Government and, indeed, the country helped him set up the refinery.
The CBN boss expressed optimism that the refinery would ease the foreign exchange scarcity in the country, noting that with local refining, about 20 per cent cost of the total cost of importing petroleum products could be saved, thereby reducing prices in the long run. He, however, said it was time to exit the fuel subsidy regime.
His words, “By the time the Dangote Refinery comes on stream, the price at which it (fuel) will be dispensed will be lower than what it is when we spend dollars to import because there will be no freight cost, no storage and all other logistics expenses.
“So we will be lucky to be having about 20 per cent savings from refining locally, rather than importing.
“But the important thing is that we have reached a point, whether we like it or not when we must exit subsidy.
“Dangote Refinery coming at this time gives us the confidence that even if we exit subsidy, the products will be available. And eventually, the interplay of market forces will also moderate the prices to a level that will help the country.
“So we are expecting that, no doubt, by the time he produces for domestic consumption, the excess will be exported by the numbers that he talked about, which we agree with.
‘’We should be able to save, conservatively, close to about $5 billion to $10 billion in foreign exchange that will come into the country.
“Whether it comes to our reserves or not is not the point, it is the fact that the dollar is available and it will be sold in the domestic market so that customers of banks who need to import do not necessarily resort to CBN for dollars.
“They can go to their banks and Dangote will sell dollars to their banks and we are going to ensure that it is done at a good market rate.
“What I would have loved to say on Monday (at the Dangote Refinery Commissioning) which I didn’t say was that the CBN, the government and the country have helped Dangote to set up that refinery.
“He is a Nigerian; Nigerians must benefit from that venture and we are going to engage him and talk to him and I am sure that being the richest man in Africa, he is going to throw a few crumbs so that the price will be lowered.”
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The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that it expects the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote to reciprocate the support he received from the government that made it possible to build his 650,000 barrels per day petrochemical refinery.
The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele disclosed Federal Government’s expectations on Wednesday at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting.
The Governor highlighted two critical areas that the government expects the billionaire’s help which include: the pricing of his refined products and selling foreign exchange to banks at a moderate rate.
Dangote commissioned his mega refinery on Monday in Lagos which is believed to redeem the country from spending billions of dollars annually to import petroleum products.
Nigeria is a net importer of PMS, diesel, and kerosene among others and has spent billions from its earnings to subsidise PMS.
Moreso, the country has suffered severe decline in its daily oil production due to the activities of vandals resulting to FX crunch.
Emefiele said, “Whether we like it or not, we must exit subsidy. Dangote refinery coming at this time gives us the confidence that even if we exit subsidy, the fuel will be available and eventually the interplay of the market will moderate the price to a level that will help the country.
“So, we are expecting that by the time he produces for domestic consumption, the excess will be exported. We should see it conserving up to $10bn in FX that will come into the country.
“Whether it comes into our reserves is not the problem, it is the fact that the dollar is available that will be sold into the market so that customers of banks willing to report will not need to be resorting to the CBN. They can go to their banks and Dangote will sell their banks those dollars and we are going to ensure they are done at a good market rate.
“The Central Bank, the government, the country has helped Dangote to set up that refinery. He is a Nigerian, so Nigerians must benefit from that venture and we are going to continue to engage him and talk to him.”
FX scarcity has weakened the naira to N464.10 against the dollar at the I&E FX Window and N760/USD at the black market.
Currently, the average price of a litre of PMS according to the National Bureau of Statistics was N254.06 in April, indicating an increase of 47.18 per cent rise.
But with the removal of subsidy, it is projected to rise to N750 per litre.
Emefiele said, “For us Dangote Refinery was a history. It is the biggest single train refinery in the world today and Dangote himself has committed that by the end of July, very early in August, they will dispense petrol from that refinery.
“For us, that is the big game changer for Nigeria because people will no longer be importing. Like I said, import bills consist of about $25bn annually you may contest the numbers let’s not forget that some of those things go across borders.
“But by the time that refinery comes on stream, begins to bring out its PMS, diesel and all other products, someone asked, does it mean that price of fuel will come down? I said it cannot come down because it will still be at market rate, however, the price at which it will be dispensed when it comes will be lower than the price it would have been dispensed if we spent dollars to import the products from abroad.
“This is because, it is local, no transportation, storage and all the logistical expenses. We will be lucky to see close to about 20 per cent savings for refining locally rather than importing it from abroad.”
A dormitory blaze that killed 19 children in Guyana was set by a teenage student who was upset that her cell phone had been taken away, officials say.
The fire broke out at the Mahdia Secondary School in the South American country late on Sunday. A statement from the Guyana Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was “maliciously set.”
National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia told the Associated Press that the suspect in the incident, a pupil at the school, was accused of setting the dorm on fire after being disciplined for having a liaison with an older man.
“A female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm mother and a teacher,” Mark Ramotar, Guyana Police’s communications chief, said in a statement seen by the local news outlet Stabroek News.
Students, farmers, housewives top voters to decide Nigeria’s next president
The AP reported that the dormitory had been locked to stop the girls from sneaking out at night.
Gouveia told the AP that the house mother had been asleep inside the building and panicked when she could not find the keys to unlock the doors. She made it out but “lost her five-year-old child in the fire,” he said.
When firefighters arrived, the wood-and-concrete building that housed the 57 children was “engulfed in flames,” the fire service said.
The building’s windows were heavily barred and five doors were locked, it added.
The AP reported that the dormitory had been locked to stop the girls from sneaking out at night.
Gouveia told the AP that the house mother had been asleep inside the building and panicked when she could not find the keys to unlock the doors. She made it out but “lost her five-year-old child in the fire,” he said.
When firefighters arrived, the wood-and-concrete building that housed the 57 children was “engulfed in flames,” the fire service said.
The building’s windows were heavily barred and five doors were locked, it added.
Former Osun Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, has explained why the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost to Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2022 governorship election in the state.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, Alabi explained that the Osun APC under the leadership of his former principal, Adegboyega Oyetola, lost to Governor Adeleke because the party went into the election as a divided house.
“Internal rancor was the major cause of our loss in the election. No house will be divided and win. The Yoruba say that when two brothers fight to death, it is outsiders that will inherit their properties,” Alabi told our correspondent on Wednesday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
“You don’t go to a battle with a divided home. It is the major reason. But I think everybody has sheathed their sword now that we know that we have fallen.”
THE WHISTLER reported that months after losing his re-election bid to Adeleke, Oyetola took steps to unite and better position the party for future elections.
In May 2023, he inaugurated an 11-man committee saddled with the responsibility of putting back the party on the right track for effective delivery in subsequent elections.
Alabi said feuding members of the Osun APC must learnt lessons from their actions following the defeat and removal of his principal and him from office in the July 16 poll.
“Nobody is going to tell anybody not to fight again. Everybody has fought and they have gone home with bruises and the bruises are painful to all parties. I am sure both we that lost the election and those that said we must lose the election, nobody is a winner in these circumstances.”
Alabi said the only way to reclaim the state from the PDP is for all factions in the Osun APC to put aside their differences and unite for the party’s good.
He added that the party needs trusted individuals to lead the reconciliation moves to pacify aggrieved members of the party.
“We can be together. What we need is trust. Whoever is doing the reconciliation must be somebody that all the factions will trust and believe in and they know his stand is not for personal gains or to apportion blames,” he said.
“To me, it is very easy. Yes, when the battle is hot, it can be difficult to reconcile people. But everybody has tested their strength now. We need to call ourselves to order and chart a new course and that can be done by someone that is not factional, someone that all the factions will trust, someone who is not after personal gains,” he added.
Alabi is willing to lead the reconciliatory move to reunite the aggrieved members of the party.
He boasted that, “If I am given the opportunity to reunite the party, it is not a difficult task. We have very large followers and our people are satisfied with little things. What they want from you is for you to carry them along in whatever you are doing and give them recognition, and wherever it is possible, give them dividends of democracy.
“If I have the opportunity of reuniting the party, I will carry all and sundry along in the decision-making. I will reach out to all the factions, whatever it will take for them to come back. United we stand, divided we fall.
“The structures are there, I know who and who to reach out to and what button to press. If I am given that opportunity, having been a contestant for governorship before and also being the deputy governor of the state, I belong to no faction, I belong to the party and that is where I still remain till tomorrow.”
- Military top brass sends off C-in-C •President charges Armed Forces to do more on security
President Muhammadu Buhari is battling with enormous pressure as his administration winds down.
On a day he juggled many activities, including inaugurating no fewer than eight projects, he also left a parting message to the military: do not give up until the battle against insurgency is won.
President Buhari spoke on Tuesday night at the Regimental Dinner organised in his honour by the Armed Forces at the newly commissioned Nigerian Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, Asokoro in Abuja.
He was accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Salihi Magashi; the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, and Service chiefs.
The President said he could not wait to exit office in four days as the pressures of the last lap of activities were taking a toll on him.
President Buhari, who unusually arrived late to the event, apologised.
He said he had been under immense pressure catching up with the array of events lined out for the transition, coupled with wrapping up official duties of his office.
He had inaugurated the new Nigerian Customs Service Headquarters in Maitama District of the FCT, before virtually inaugurating six other projects across the country.
He also presided over another extraordinary Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting from midday till late Tuesday, before heading out for the Regimental Dinner.
“Please, I will like to digress a bit from the prepared speech. I apologise most sincerely for keeping you waiting for about at least half an hour.
“Actually, I can hardly cope with the pressure and I’m desperately looking forward to the next six days,” he told the gathering made up of the top brass of the Armed Forces.
Regimental Dinner is a ceremony to send off an exiting Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by the military hierarchy.
President Buhari will step down on Monday, giving way to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The President urged the military and other security and intelligence agencies not to relent in their efforts to secure all parts of the country.
He expressed appreciation to members of the Armed Forces for their sacrifice.
Paying tribute to “their unwavering loyalty, hard work, dedication and selfless service to our beloved nation”, the President stressed that until insecurity is surmounted, nobody should relax.
He said: “Consequently, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the other security agencies must always remain resolute in the face of the country’s security challenges.
“In this vein, our administration, though winding down soon, will never relent in providing the needed support to the military, to enable them to effectively carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
“Let me now thank the chief host, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Service Chiefs and heads of other security agencies at this event, for your dedicated service to the nation.
“I commend you and thank our esteemed guests for coming to this historic occasion.
“Let me now pray for the repose of the souls of our fallen heroes. Their ultimate sacrifice will never be in vain.
“May the Almighty God continue to grant them eternal rest,” the President said.
Other dignitaries at the event were Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu; Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu; Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele; and members of the National Assembly
[Nation]