Headline

Uproar As Buhari Says Niger Republic’ll Defend Him Should Anyone Move Against Him After May 29

Published

3 years ago

May 24, 2023

Editor

…Nigerians won’t miss Buhari —Afenifere

...It shows his non-committal to Nigeria —MBF

…Buhari’s remarks unpresidential— NEF

President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday the people of Niger Republic would defend him if anyone moved against him after leaving office.

He also said he deliberately shut the nation’s land borders to force Nigerians to patronise goods made in the country.

The President’s declaration, however, drew the ire of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum, MBF, which described his stance as non-committal to Nigeria and that Nigerians would not miss him when he exits office.

But Buhari, who spoke extempore at the commissioning of the new corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in Abuja, said he was speaking his mind, reiterating his earlier decision to be far away from Abuja at the end of his administration.

He said: “That is why when I became the President, my first visit was to Niger, Chad and Cameroon because, based on personal and national issues, the neighbourhood is very important.

“If you don’t secure the confidence and cooperation of your neighbours, you are in trouble, your children and grandchildren will be in trouble.

“So it is very good that I established a relationship with my neighbours. I said these few things about my personal belief because I have only six more days to go. And I try to plan to be as far away from Abuja as possible.

‘’Thank goodness, I come from an area which is far away from Abuja. I said if anybody forces me, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, Niger people will defend me.”

The President said he closed the country’s land borders to encourage Nigerians to produce food for their consumption, adding that though the move was initially criticised, Nigerians eventually appreciated it.

While noting that the nation’s vast borders, he said only God could secure the nation from the activities of criminals.

He said: “Please note that from Lake Chad to Benin is more than 1,600Km. Only God can effectively guard that border. So you need a person who will have the energy and the competence to effectively supervise it.

“I deliberately closed the borders because knowing Nigerians, they order rice and give some Niger address and then they bring the rice here. “We have our potential. We thank God Nigeria is so blessed with people, we have land, and we have weather. How many nations are so lucky like Nigeria in the world?

“Very few nations are as lucky as we are. We thank God for that. So closing that 1,600 km border from Lake Chad to Benin, Nigerians insist they have to help their neighbour and other people, they should eat foreign rice.

‘’I said you eat what you grow or grow what you eat or you die.I think I am trying to make my point. Later Nigerians will appreciate it because it provides more jobs. People go back to agriculture.

‘’We have the land and they will produce what we eat. And for people who think that our neighbours are going to lose, let’s continue to be with our neighbours. Those who are producing excess rice, let them eat their rice or go and sell it elsewhere.”

Buhari said he appointed Hameed Ali as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, because of his experience and competence, adding that the late Sani Abacha, a former military head of state, gave Ali “problematic” tasks to accomplish.

He said: “As for Hameed Ali, I asked him to be in charge of Customs. No matter what people say about the late Sani Abacha, may his soul rest in peace.

“I knew him very well when somehow he became president of this country, head of state, the biggest problematic area was around Kaduna. He picked Colonel Hameed Ali and dumped the problems on him. My decision for Hameed Ali to come to Customs was a deliberate one. [I brought] Colonel Hameed Ali to ensure that I have peace of mind.

“The 100 per cent increase in the remuneration for officers and men of the service decisively made them less susceptible to corruption.”

The President also said he appointed only ladies as ministers of finance because of the cultural belief, as people would feel too big to go to them for favours.

According to him, “I made sure I gave the ministry of finance to ladies because of the cultural behaviours of Nigerians.

“Once ladies are in charge, people feel too big to go to them, so I am sure things will not be the same in the ministry of finance where people go and start lobbying for contracts to be paid. So they will feel too big to go to a lady. Therefore, I make sure a lady is in charge. That gave me a lot of peace.”

Nigerians won’t miss Buhari —Afenifere

Reacting to Buhari’s statement yesterday, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, described Buhari’s remarks as a sad commentary on his administration, noting that Nigerians would not miss him when he exits office.

Afenfere’s General Secretary, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said: “As I said in a recent interview, the only thing Nigerians are expecting from Buhari is his exit, so all these dry comic banter are of no moment.

‘’It is a sad commentary on his administration that he could bring the giant of Africa and the awesome Commander-in-Chief of West Africa, through ECOMOG, on its knees before the boys even for personal refuge. “As he steps out, it is unfortunate that the President is unperturbed that his feet are still being soiled by the blood of citizens in Kaduna, Plateau and everywhere in the hands of terrorists.

‘’All things promised – enhanced security, economy and anti-corruption, became far worse than hitherto. Let him go wherever pleases him, Nigerians will certainly not miss him.”

It shows his non-committal to Nigeria —MBF

Also reacting. the National President of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu, said: “I recall that he had some time ago said if Nigerians disturb him after leaving office he would relocate to Niger Republic.

“This latest statement means that he meant what he said before, that he would relocate if disturbed. It simply shows that he is not committed to the Nigerian state and his commitment lies elsewhere. And it is unfortunate that Nigerians elected such a president who presided over them for eight years. So we have to think wisely next time in selecting who would lead us. That person’s commitment has to be weighty.

“Today we have somebody who is also alleged to have dual citizenship. He is said to have the citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea or whatever it is. In that case, where will his loyalty be? Will he be 100 per cent loyal to Nigeria?

“So it is up to Nigerians to judge their leaders based on who they are and who they might be, based on their behaviour. “It is unfortunate that President Buhari, rather than jettisoning what he said before, has, indeed, re-emphasised that he would be defended by people outside Nigeria, it is unfortunate.”

Buhari statement validates earlier speculations of ties with Niger— PANDEF

In its reaction, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said the President’s statement only validated earlier speculations of his ties with the people of Niger Republic.

The National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, said: “PANDEF does not believe that such a statement was made by President Muhammadu Buhari. Maybe someone else made the statement on his behalf.

“But if it is true that the outgoing President of Nigeria made such statement, then it validates the speculations and insinuations that have been because of his attitude and disposition to some of the neighbouring countries, especially, Niger Republic, where the government of Nigeria was trying to construct a railway from Nigeria to Niger.

“In fact, some persons were also trying to site a refinery in the Niger Republic. It validates the rumoured ties the outgoing president has with that country.’’

Buhari’s remarks unpresidential— NEF

Also reacting last night, the Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, described as ‘unpresidential’, the remarks by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Forum also said the statement was not only a bad attempt at being sarcastic to wave away the national discontent to his serial misrule, but a vindication of its earlier warnings about his leadership. NEF’s Director of Youth and Mobilisation, Alhaji Nastura Sharif, said: “This remark by Buhari is apart from being ‘unpresidential’, also a vindication of what we have all along been pointing out.

“Long before the elections that brought him to power, we have on several occasions alerted that Buhari did not have the necessary skill, the competence and capacity to lead the country.

“We have in specific terms alerted that he never even had the political will to be Nigerian president except for his obsession with power and deep-seated vendetta against classes of people and individuals who he perceived as enemies.

“That’s now history, at least everyone is by now aware that Buhari has never had the interest of the nation at heart beyond showmanship.”

VANGUARD

Headline

FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting

Published

1 day ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.

The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.

The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:

Afghanistan

Myanmar

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Headline

Romanian Defence Minister Quits After Admitting Error In Academic Record

Published

1 day ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Romania’s defence minister resigned on Friday after saying he made a “mistake” on his CV about his university education, as controversy swirled over alleged lies on his resume.

Ionut Mosteanu – who has admitted to writing on his CV that he graduated from a university he never attended – said he did not want the row “to distract” the NATO member at a time when it and Europe are “under attack from Russia”.

Romania has repeatedly seen drone fragments fall on its soil since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and reported a number of drone incursions.

On Tuesday, a drone crashed in eastern Romania, which borders Ukraine.

Romania has also accused Moscow of “hybrid attacks”, including meddling in presidential elections last year that were subsequently annulled.

“Today, I resigned from my position as minister of national defence,” Mosteanu said in a Facebook post, adding he wanted the country to be focused on its “difficult mission”.

“Romania and Europe are under attack from Russia. Our national security must be defended at all costs,” he added.

Mosteanu had come under pressure after a media investigation published on Thursday revealed that he wrote in a CV that he graduated from a university which he did not actually attend.

That same day he apologised for what he called “a mistake”.

“In a CV I quickly put together in 2016 using a template I found online, there is a mistake that I admit embarrasses me. I didn’t pay much attention to these details at the time,” he said on Facebook.

Mosteanu was appointed defence minister in June of this year, when a new pro-European government was formed after months of political turmoil.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said in a press release that he would propose economy and tourism minister Radu Miruta take over the defence portfolio in the interim.

AFP

Headline

Russia Insists Ukraine Must Cede Land Or Face Continued Military Push

Published

3 days ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would end his Ukraine offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims at its own — otherwise his army would take it by force.

The Russian army has been slowly but steadily grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly battles against outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces.

Washington has meanwhile renewed its push to end the nearly four-year war, putting forward a surprise plan that it hopes to finalise through upcoming talks with Moscow and Kyiv.

“If Ukrainian forces leave the territories they hold, then we will stop combat operations,” Putin said during a visit to Kyrgyzstan. “If they don’t, then we will achieve it by military means.”

Russia controls around one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. The issue of occupied land, which Kyiv has said it will never cede, is among the biggest stumbling blocks in the peace process.

Another important issue in the talks are Western security guarantees for Ukraine, which Kyiv says are needed to prevent Moscow from invading again in the future.

Washington’s original plan — drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies — would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.

The US pared back the original plan over the weekend following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but has not yet released the new version.

Putin, who has seen the new plan, said it could be a negotiation starter.

“Overall, we agree that it could form the basis for future agreements,” he said of the latest draft, which the US is thought to have shortened to about 20 points.

US negotiator Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow next week to discuss the revised document, Putin said.

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is meanwhile due to visit Kyiv later this week, Ukraine’s top presidential aide Andriy Yermak said.

– ‘Little can be done’ –

In his remarks Thursday, Putin repeated the claim that Russia had encircled the Ukrainian army in Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region — the most fiercely embattled area and a key target for Moscow’s forces.

“Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov are completely surrounded,” he said, using the Russian names for the cities.

Moscow was also advancing in Vovchansk and Siversk, as well as approaching the important logistic hub of Guliaipole, he added.

The Russian offensive “is practically impossible to hold back, so there is little that can be done about it”, Putin said.

Ukraine has denied Pokrovsk and Myrnograd are encircled, insisting its forces continue to hold the enemy along the front line.

Putin also questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy and said signing any agreement with him would be legally “almost impossible” at the moment, a suggestion that has drawn groans from Kyiv and its allies.

According to data analysed by AFP from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have conquered an average of 467 square kilometres (180 square miles) each month in 2025 — a step up from 2024.

Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the worst armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.