The newspapers for Friday August 11, 2017 focused on the agitation for restructuring, protest demanding for return or resignation of President Buhari amongst other top issues in facing the country.
Thisday reports that in an apparent bid to respond to the deafening clamour for the country’s restructuring, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that no individual or entity in the country can lay claim to being a stronger advocate of restructuring than itself.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who made the remark Thursday while inaugurating the committee on restructuring headed by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, said right from the party’s constitution and the manifesto, there were very elaborate references to true federalism and devolution of powers.
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Members of the committee are el-Rufai – chairman, Olubunmi Adetunbi – secretary, Rauf Aregbesola – member, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu – member, Abdullahi Ganduje – member, Simon Lalong – member, Yahaya Bello – member, Mohammed Abubakar – member, Sullivan Chime – member, Kashim Ibrahim – member, Osita Izunaso – member, Bolaji Abdullahi – member, Ogbonnaya Onu – member, Aisha Al-Hassan – member, Aisha Ismail – member, Sharon Ikeazor – member, Rachael Akpabio – member, Ismail Ahmed – member, Oserheimen Osunbor – member, Fati Bala – member, Jasper Azuatalem – member, Rinsola Abiola – member, and Stella Dorgu – member.
Thisday newspaper for Friday August 11, 2017, photo credit: Snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
On its part, the Guardian reported that About 12 power projects in the country, with cumulative construction value of N4.637 trillion and installed capacity of over 6,000 megawatts (MW) have either been abandoned by the operators or remained idle since completion. This is amid the country’s struggle to generate less than 4,000MW daily for consumers.
Besides, about 15 power units in various plants across the country were unable to generate electricity on August 9 due to gas and frequency management constraints which resulted in unutilised capacity of over 2,261.8 MW.
Plant operators attribute poor generation to gas shortages and their huge debt burden to producers. The plants are starved of gas because many generating companies (GenCos) are indebted to the producers to the tune of N155 billion ($500 million) between January 2015 and December 2016. As a result, gas producers prefer to channel their product for export to get good value.
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Also, transmission challenges make it difficult for the little output from the Gencos to be evacuated because the national grid is not strong enough to wheel all the power generated.
Specifically, six out of the 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), valued at $7.5billion (N2.287trillion) are hampered by lack of gas, while the rest valued at N2.348billion were put on hold due to funding challenges.
According to data from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the power units that were not able to produce electricity on August 9 included Geregu Nigerian National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) Gas Turbin (GT)22; Omotosho Gas GT2, GT3 and GT4; and Alaoji NIPP GT1 & 4.
Others are Olorunsogo Gas GT5; Egbin ST2; Gbarain GT2; Afam VI GT13 & ST18; Geregu NIPP GT22; Ihovbor GT1 & 2; Olorunsogo NIPP GT1 & 3; Omotosho Gas GT4 & 5; Geregu Gas GT1; Olorunsogo Gas GT2, 4 & 7 and Omotosho NIPP GT2.
The Guardian newspaper for Friday August 11, 2017. Photo credit: Snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
Vanguard reports that two groups of pro and anti-Buhari protesters, yesterday, hit the streets of Abuja to either support or lash out at the President who is currently on medical leave in London, United Kingdom.
President Muhammadu Buhari travelled on medical vacation to London on May 7 and his continued stay there has generated so much controversies in the polity, to the extent that some Nigerians have even called for his removal from office for staying out of the country for too long.
The protests were relatively peaceful, as the police kept watch over both groups, contrary to what transpired on Tuesday when security men dispersed the anti-Buhari protesters, operating under the aegis of ‘’Our Mumu Don Do’’ with water canon and teargas.
Although Charly Boy and his group were dispersed by the police on Tuesday, the group continued its protest, yesterday, sitting out at the Unity Fountain. Insisting that the President resigned or resume work. While this group was sitting out at the Unity Fountain, the pro-Buhari group also stormed the same venue to declare their support for the President.
Obi Nelson, who addressed his group, quoted President Buhari popular phrase ‘’if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us.” He said all the President needed was the support of Nigerians to enable him tackle the problem of graft in the country. According to him, Nigeria will not make any progress, if the problem of corruption is not solved.
The pro-Buhari protesters, mostly women and young ladies, were armed with placards bearing several inscriptions, and chanting solidarity songs that conveyed their loyalty and support for the ailing President. Some of the placards read:
‘’The system is working, no cause for alarm’’; ‘’we repose confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari’’; “our President is recuperating, Nigeria is moving forward.” They also declared their support for the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, saying he had done well so far.
Vanguard newspaper for Friday August 11, 2017. Photo credit: Snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
The Nation on the other hand reported that acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said the Muhammadu Buhari administration will no longer accept excuses that suggest that delivering sustainable socio-economic development to Nigerians is not attainable.
He spoke yesterday at the Cabinet Retreat on the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) and the 2018 Budget preparation at the State House, Abuja.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said: “After listening to Dr. Idris Jala all I can say is as the opposition leader in Malaysia said, this is what I have been saying for the past 50 years!
“But seriously he is so right; the challenge is this, the discipline to be unreasonable in our targets and objectives. The discipline of attending the labs diligently and accepting to be locked in a room for as long as it takes to iron out what it is that needs to be done.
“I like the point also that Dr Jala made that the excuse that it won’t work here, the Nigerian factor, or some say exceptionalism, or the acceptance of failure before you even start is certainly not tenable any more.”
Osinbajo went on: “We simply have to accept that there is nothing Nigerian about failure, because as we know in our personal lives, failure and success are commodities on offer to everyone all over the world and every individual and every country makes a choice of which to buy and I will say on our behalf that we will choose success.
“Dr Jala, I have heard motivational speeches, but this is one I think that challenges our whole legitimacy as persons entrusted with leadership.
“I think it goes beyond motivational speech. I think it really challenges the core of our relevance as leaders and I am challenged and I know that many of us here are and I think that we will do what we need to do to make sure that we see through the labs that we have to identify specific areas where we will do this labs. We must see to it that this works.
“I want to thank you again for this exceptional moment you have taken us through and to thank all of you also for taking the time to come. So the work has just begun.”
Permanent Secretaries and heads of Ministries Departments and Agents (MDAs attended the retreat at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
Nation newspaper for Friday August 11, 2017. Photo credit: Snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
Meanwhile, Punch reports that the Peoples Democratic Party said in Abuja on Thursday that it was expecting those it described as “high-profile “ defectors to join its fold within the next three weeks.
The chairman of the party’s Special Non-Elective National Convention, who is also the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, stated this in a chat with journalists.
He said the party was preparing to welcome the expected defectors from other political parties.
But he did not reveal the identities of the defectors and their political parties.
He spoke while inspecting the Eagles Square, venue of the convention, saying necessary arrangement had been made in order to have a successful convention.
He said, “We just came to see what is on the ground, I believe that our people will be safe because we have everything under control, we are not expecting hitches at all.
“We are doing very well as a party and as a committee. In this kind of planning you will have some challenges here and there but there are solutions being proffered to everyone of them and we are confident that we are on the right track and it shall be well on Saturday.
“I believe that a lot of people who thought that the party was going to implode will realise that we are back and ready to offer what it takes to better the lives of Nigerians.”
“Many of our members that left earlier due to one form of disagreement or the other will return to their party because the National Caretaker Committee has constituted a Reconciliation Committee as well as a Contact and Mobilisation Committee to reach out to them.
“From the way things are going presently in this country, I believe Nigerians will realise that PDP is the only alternative that can bring Nigeria out of her present economic challenges. We are expecting high profile defectors in the next three weeks or so.”
However, the All Progressives Congress said it was not bothered by the PDP’s claim
Punch newspaper for Friday August 11, 2017. Photo credit: Snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
In the video below, ZENITHBLOG.com TV asked some Nigerians if they consider the police as their friend.
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