On January 1, 2023 and January 2, 2023, a one-hour documentary on President Muhammadu Buhari will be shown on various television stations.

In his own words as well as that of some of his family members, acquaintances, and allies, the President’s life and ideology are chronicled in the documentary named Essential Muhammadu Buhari.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, revealed this in a statement he signed on Saturday titled ‘Airing of the Muhammadu Buhari documentary on TV networks.’

Essential Muhammadu Buhari will be shown on Channels TV, TVC, NTA, Arise and Trust TV. The schedule is as follows:

1.      Channels TV 6-7:00 pm, Sunday, January 1, 2023;

2.     Nigerian Television Authority, 8-9:00 pm, Sunday, January 1;

3.     TVC 4:30-5:30 pm, Sunday, January 1;
4.    Arise TV 5-6 pm, Monday, January 2;

5.     Trust TV 6-7 pm, January 2;

6.    African International Television, 8:00 – 9:00 pm, Sunday, January 1 and 8-9:00 pm January 2.

 According to Shehu, the documentary will also show on YouTube.

New Year speech by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) for the year 2023, which happens to be his last as President.

Read full text below:

My fellow countrymen and women, a very happy and prosperous New Year to you.

First, I would like to thank and honour the Almighty who saw us through the year 2022 and has given us the opportunity to see another year. Each New Year is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, reposition, and move forward with the New.

2. As we celebrate the opportunity to be alive in the year 2023, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this new year. May their souls rest in perfect peace.

3. This year is particularly important to me because this message is in essence valedictory. After having the honour of serving you, my compatriots, for the last seven plus years, my tenure as your President in the most revered tradition of our ongoing and maturing democracy must necessarily come to an end. In the next five months, we would have gone to the polls and elected a new president along with new governors and a plethora of other elected officials at both the national and state levels.

4. All these electoral and democratic principles are working in concert because of the transcendent beliefs, beyond partisan politics, of you the great citizen of Nigeria. In addition is my personal commitment and executive promise to see to the letter that the 2023 elections being diligently conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission will be free and fair. The collective electoral will and votes of Nigerians will be fulfilled, even in the twilight moments of my watch.

5. Reflecting on year 2022 allows us as a government to examine our legacies of successes and challenges. As we celebrate our wins and review obstacles, we all must understand that governance is a continuum, which still places a transitional responsibility on this administration to provide for the incoming government a non-partisan and objective roadmap for 2023. We as Nigeria; one country united under the will of God and actively growing as an indivisible entity, have been enabled year after year, decade after decade, to weather all stormy waters and emerge stronger and better where others have fallen and disintegrated. This has made us a unique nation across the globe and our continent.

6. In the year 2023, Nigerians go to the polls to exercise our right to vote and elect a new Administration; it is an important year for our country to ensure that we have another smooth transition of government, to whoever the people have decided upon. This administration’s landmark Amended Electoral Act will ensure that we have free and fair elections across the nation. We as Nigerians must also take responsibility to ensure we participate in ensuring that the 2023 elections are free and fair by not engaging in anti-state activities and other nefarious acts that may affect the run of the polls. We must also resist every attempt to be used by politicians to create unrest in any form to disrupt the elections. We, as government will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law.

7. As our security agencies continue to make the country proud, we must continue to assist our patriotic forces by providing the much needed community intelligence. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Nigeria remains safe and peaceful for us all. Therefore, we have a duty and obligation to support our troops and intelligence agencies by being alert and reporting anything suspicious. The fight against insurgency in the North-East region has continually recorded very clear wins in the past year. The Federal Government, and the Borno State government, have started the journey of returning internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes earlier taken by the insurgents. Also, over 82,000 insurgents with their families have surrendered to the Nigerian military. A number of surrendered insurgents are currently being processed by the rehabilitation (Operation Safe Corridor) programme. The fight against banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the North-West and other regions is gaining momentum and showing very clear results. One of which is the resumption of Train Service along the Kaduna to Abuja corridor.

8. In the aftermath of the #EndSARS, our administration took heed and instituted the ongoing Police Reform programme based on a new Presidential Vision for Policing in Nigeria. This new vision is framed in a clear road map that transcends the tenure of this administration and it is predicated on six principles: a) Building Trust and Legitimacy b) Leadership, Accountability and Oversight c)Technology and digital media d) Community Policing and Crime Reduction e) Officers Training and Education f) Funding, Officers’ Welfare, Wellness and Safety.

9. This reform programme is very much in its foundational phase but has recorded noteworthy successes in improving police welfare and their emoluments. Other gains have been the ongoing training of 500 police cadet trainers to enable a better training regimen for the 2022 first batch of the 10,000 new cadets with an additional 10,000 set for 2023. In support of these reforms has been the provisioning of new material for the Nigeria Police to steadily improve on its constitutional responsibility to enforce law and order, protect lives and property as well as street level peace and security.

10. Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, we have been able to weather the storms. Inflation across the globe is at its highest, the Federal Government has been resolute through its economic interventions to remain above water during this period. 2022 brought a combined impact from ongoing wars and aftereffects of COVID-19. Though creating its own fiscal challenges, we have continued to subsidise our energy costs to buffer households from inflationary pressure of high energy costs. In 2023, we are focused on building on our Gross Domestic Product and sustain the huge surge in the non-oil GDP growth.

11. The Nigerian Start up Bill has been passed as an Act. This is considered a huge step in lowering our unemployment figures by boosting job creation and supporting the entrepreneurial drive of our youths. If you recall in my 2021 New Year speech, I had mentioned the need to secure the future of our youth recognizing that our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. In this regard, we worked with the legislature to develop an enabling law to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed and scaled across regions. 2023 will see the implementation of the Nigerian Start Up Act nationwide.

9. This reform programme is very much in its foundational phase but has recorded noteworthy successes in improving police welfare and their emoluments. Other gains have been the ongoing training of 500 police cadet trainers to enable a better training regimen for the 2022 first batch of the 10,000 new cadets with an additional 10,000 set for 2023. In support of these reforms has been the provisioning of new material for the Nigeria Police to steadily improve on its constitutional responsibility to enforce law and order, protect lives and property as well as street level peace and security.

10. Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, we have been able to weather the storms. Inflation across the globe is at its highest, the Federal Government has been resolute through its economic interventions to remain above water during this period. 2022 brought a combined impact from ongoing wars and aftereffects of COVID-19. Though creating its own fiscal challenges, we have continued to subsidise our energy costs to buffer households from inflationary pressure of high energy costs. In 2023, we are focused on building on our Gross Domestic Product and sustain the huge surge in the non-oil GDP growth.

11. The Nigerian Start up Bill has been passed as an Act. This is considered a huge step in lowering our unemployment figures by boosting job creation and supporting the entrepreneurial drive of our youths. If you recall in my 2021 New Year speech, I had mentioned the need to secure the future of our youth recognizing that our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. In this regard, we worked with the legislature to develop an enabling law to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed and scaled across regions. 2023 will see the implementation of the Nigerian Start Up Act nationwide.

12. The year 2023 would, indeed, be a time when we would work to solidify on delivering key strategic priorities under our “SEA” – (Security, Economy and Anti-Corruption) Agenda. Some of the key priority areas we would direct our attention and strengths to include:

a. Focus on SECURITY; we will continue to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war against our communities across the Nation. We will also focus on ensuring that free and fair elections would be held come February 2023. Our security forces are working in partnership to ensure the wins we have got in war against insurgency, banditry, secession and other crimes are sustained and more wins acquired.

b. For the ECONOMY; our focus would be on maintaining and building economic growth through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the goal of national food self-sufficiency and growth in non-oil sources. The ongoing infrastructure revolution by our administration will see us deliver the key projects across the Nation in power, rail, roads, ports and technology.

c. ANTI-CORRUPTION: On the anti-corruption drive of our administration, we have created new records in this fight, growing from 117 convictions in 2017 to 3,615 convictions as at December 2022. We as a government are committed to ridding our nation of all forms of corruption, through the collaboration with all the arms of Government to effectively prosecute this fight.

13. As we welcome the New Year, let us look with hope to 2023, a year to move forward as a nation towards unity, progress and prosperity. I offer my own personal felicitations, mindful of the various opinions and interpretations of our executive legacies. I welcome and accept both the accolades and criticisms in equal measure secure in the conviction that I did my best to serve our dear country Nigeria and I pray that the next President will also pick up the baton and continue the race to make Nigeria one of the leading countries of the world by the end of this century.

14. Long Live the Nigerian spirit of oneness, togetherness, and unity. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A happy and prosperous New Year.

God bless you.

(PUNCH NEWS)

In Sokoto State, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu/Shettima Media and Publicity was officially launched.

Aminu Mohammed, the state’s new chairman and a former senior special adviser on media, hailed Bola Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, and Senator Kashim Shettima, Tinubu’s running partner, as marketable candidates when launching the organisation.

This information was sent to one of our correspondents on Friday in a press release that was signed by Prince Tunde Omolehin, the council’s secretary.

Mohammed assured that, with the composition of the committee members, there was no doubt that Sokoto would emerge the best among other states to deliver on the Tinubu/Shetima media project ahead of the presidential election in the state.

“When you look at the track records of our presidential candidate and his running mate, you will agree with me that we have a good candidate and running mate to market before the public. We will do our best to achieve this despite the short time.” He said.

He thanked the leadership of the APC-PCC directorate for finding the members worthy of their nominations and urged the new members to come up with thoughtful ideas and suggestions that could enhance the committee’s preparedness in achieving the objectives.

In the meantime, the Otunba Solomon Oladunni Support Group for Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima has urged Ondo State residents to support Tinubu, claiming that he will see to the construction of the deep seaport that is being considered for the state.

Speaking during a rally in Akure, the Ondo State capital in solidarity with the APC presidential candidate, the coordinator of the group, Otunba Solomon Oladunni, said Tinubu was the best and most experienced of all the presidential candidates.

Oladunni said, “If we allow Asiwaju as president in 2023, the economy will face tremendous improvement, employment will be created for our youths, Nigeria GDP will rise, inflation will reduce, foreign exchange will be strengthened and the health institutions will be better. Higher institutions and the educational system as a whole will be reinvigorated better and youths will be engaged, industries will boom, and Ondo state will benefit because we have a deep seaport which we’ve been engaging the FG for a very long time to develop. I believe that if Tinubu is elected, it will be achieved”.

“Ondo state has a lot of resources, solid resources, petroleum resources, human resources, he will be able to harness all these to the development of our people, our state and the country as a whole.”

Also speaking, a former Secretary to Ondo State Government, Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, assured that the rally would translate to massive votes for Tinubu in the presidential election.

He added, “The people know Tinubu, his character, and his antecedents. When he was the governor of Lagos State, he moved the state forward. The economy of Lagos today can be compared with that of some nations in Africa.”

Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retired), the head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has announced that from now on, agency personnel will wear masks when conducting operations.

He claimed that this was done to conceal their identities from drug lords and junkies, who occasionally recognized some of them and went looking for them following operations.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Marwa stated that the organization remained dedicated to the security of its employees.

Some officials of the agency have been killed by gunmen in different parts of the country.

Among them was Paul Anwana, who was killed at his residence in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on April 18, 2022. Also, gunmen stormed the office of the agency on the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway in Ebonyi State on February 20, 2022, killing an officer.

They also shot one in the leg, made away with a rifle and burnt a patrol van.

Marwa said, “We have devised a means to protect our men from the drug barons and addicts. After operations, these drug barons go after our men to attack them for doing their lawful duties. We have to protect them and their households. That is why they are going to be wearing masks during operations.

“They will cover their faces very well so that it will be difficult for the drug barons to identify them. These young men and women are really working hard for the country and we should not expose them to danger. These drug barons have their tentacles everywhere and are ready to do anything illegal but within their reach to protect their illicit trade. We won’t allow that to happen.”

He said the agency had introduced multi-pronged incentives including cash-backed awards for Best Performing Commands and commendations to motivate officers and men.

The high command of the Nigerian Army has ordered around 120 major generals, brigadiers, colonels, lieutenants, captains, and others to embark on mandatory retirement in the midst of the security issues facing the nation.

The impacted officials, which includes those who failed their Senior Staff Course Examinations, were given the option of voluntarily retiring or being subjected to a summary retrenchment.

According to news report, the exercise was in accordance with the Public Service Rules and the Armed Forces of Nigeria Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service, 2017 (Revised).

Since those affected were receiving their letters of mandatory retirement in batches, it was learned that the number of senior and middle level employees who would need to depart the service could be more than 120.

News media reported that the first batch was given a deadline of December 24, 2022, to tender their retirement letters.

Further information revealed that the affected employees would begin their three-month pre-retirement leave in January.

According to sources who spoke with our correspondent, the majority of the concerned cops followed the instruction to prevent retaliatory steps from the authorities.

However, the development has caused concern among Army members, who are questioning the justification for the widespread layoffs.

An officer accused the military authorities of disobeying a directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, that the exercise should be suspended till after the 2023 elections.

The source stated, “Over 120 top officers were served letters of mandatory retirement by the Army authorities. The affected officers include major-generals, brigadier-generals, brigadiers, colonels, captains and other middle-level officers, who were unable to pass their promotion examinations after three attempts.

“But there are two rules guiding this issue: if one fails to pass his promotion exams after three attempts, he could be considered on the basis of the years he has spent on the rank.

“Though the authorities informed us that those who failed to pass their exams would be considered on the basis of age on rank, they reneged on this and instead directed us to put in our voluntary retirement letters. This is not fair.”

It was discovered that the servicemen were forced to submit their notifications of voluntary retirement despite objecting to the Army high command’s inability to follow the procedures. They had the option to later complain or appeal.

Another source, who confirmed the development, said the letters issued to the affected officers were signed by the Military Secretary, Army, Major General J. Abdussalam.

Apart from those who failed their promotion examinations, the source said those who had disciplinary cases and those who had spent the mandatory 35 years in service were equally affected.

He said, “The officers who were asked to submit letters of voluntary retirement were more than 100. The military directive was contained in a letter dated October 24, 2022 but it was served on them sometime in November.

“They were given a deadline of December 24, 2022 to tender their letters otherwise the Nigerian Army would compel them to go on compulsory retirement.  They are to commence their terminal leave from either February or March 2023.

“The reasons for the disengagement are varied. Some had to do with age on rank or cases of indiscipline and other reasons known to the Chief of Army Staff and the Military Secretary (Army).

“Some failed promotion examinations three times. For example, some brigadier-generals failed their promotion exams to major-general during their third and last attempt this year.”

Findings indicate that some of the officers had been lobbying top retired military officers, including a former Chief of Staff, for assistance.

However, there are indications that the aggrieved officers might have appealed to the CoAS, Lt Gen Farouk Yahaya, and the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for extension of service in line with Chapter 11, Section 2(e) of the HTACOS.

The section states, “An officer called upon to retire, resign or to relinquish his commission shall, if he so desires, appeal to Mr President, the C-in-C (Commander-In-Chief) through the CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) within 30 days to have his case reconsidered.”

But some of the affected officers, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, explained that they did not file any appeal because they were given assurances that the exercise might be reviewed.

Speaking in confidence to Saturday PUNCH, a Major disclosed that he did not take advantage of the 30-day appeal window provided by the HTACOS because there were signs that the authorities might withdraw the directive following the discontent and anger it had generated in the Army among those who had not attained the mandatory retirement age or service years.

“We have submitted our letters of voluntary retirement as directed by the high command, but there are positive indications that we may be considered for reprieve, particularly those of us who have not spent up to 35 years in service,” he said optimistically.

The Director of Information, Nigerian Army, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, did not respond to requests for comments on Friday, but a retired military officer and security expert, Col Hassan Stan-Labo, pointed out that retirement was routine in the military.

“The army has a well laid out HATCOS regime, which applies to its personnel. So, it (retirement) is very normal; it is an annual thing; retirement, promotion and discipline are annual events in the Army calendar,” he stated.

Asked if the annual retirement of personnel without commensurate recruitment would not affect the Army’s operational capability, Stan-Labo said, “The Army cannot sacrifice anything for discipline. That you are holding an important position in relation to the ongoing war does not make you indispensable. There is a saying in the Army that nobody is indispensable.

“So, if at any point you think you are too much; you can be laid aside and another person will do it. Thank God Nigeria has a population of over 250 million, so we don’t lack manpower except that they are not recruiting as much as we expect in relation to the ongoing campaign. We expect that turnover will be high, so recruitment should be high.”                Punch News

A controversial artist from Nigeria named Portable, also known as Habeeb Okikiola, pays Emmanuel Adebayor, a former Arsenal player, a visit.

Recall a recent viral video of him that appeared online, showing the performer being carried on stage in a coffin.

Recent events include the observation of Portable and Adebayor mingling in the latter’s home.

In the clip, Portable could not contain his joy upon meeting Adebayo, while he entertained everyone’s ears with his manner of speech and slangs.

He said, “I dey with Adebayor. Kala, ma re rin. I dey with international footballer. No be all those akparo footballer wey never chop.

“You don collect cup? You don collect award? Akoi grace, Adebayor. Akoi mercy. Anybody wey pray for your downfall go fall.”

The Nigerian Army has stated that attempts are still being made to free Lt. P.P. Johnson, a female officer who was purportedly kidnapped in Imo by the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.

Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of army public relations, revealed on Friday in Abuja that the female officer was kidnapped on December 26 while visiting her grandmother in Aku-Okigwe, Imo.

That was shortly after the completion of her cadet training and subsequent unveiling as a lieutenant into the Nigerian Army, he added.

Nwachukwu stated that the video footage of her abduction had emerged on social media where her abductors claimed her abduction was in line with their fight for Biafra against the Nigerian state.

The officer’s circumstance as a woman and a Nigerian citizen of southeastern extraction did not “dissuade her abductors from dehumanising her in their mindless attempt to commit atrocities under the guise of fighting for Biafra,” he added.

“This evidently is another pointer to the myriad of crimes being unleashed by IPOB/ESN on Ndi Igbo, the very people they claim to be fighting for their emancipation.

“It should therefore be crystal clear to those who are still in doubt of the true status of these groups, that IPOB and ESN are terrorists.

“They are masquerading as freedom fighters and do not deserve the support of anyone particularly the good people of South-East Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Army states that the information making the rounds that Lt. Johnson had been released or rescued from her abductors is unsubstantiated as the officer has yet to be released or rescued,’’ he stated.

Nwachukwu stressed that the video footage being circulated and associated with the rescue claim was an old video of the arrest of a suspect by troops.

“Much as we appreciate the concern and goodwill of the general public for her safe rescue, we also wish to note that the information on the rescue of the officer did not emanate from the Nigerian Army.

“The Nigerian Army will leave no stone unturned in its effort to rescue the officer and bring the perpetrators to book.

“We appeal to the general public to provide credible and reliable information that could lead to her safe rescue and arrest of the perpetrators,’’ Nwachukwu stated.

NAN