President Buhari Meets Simon Lalong At Aso Rock [Photos]

President Muhammadu Buhari has met with the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, at the Presidential Villa.

Naija News reports that the meeting was at the President’s Office on Friday.

The Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, was also in attendance.

Speaking to State House correspondents, Lalong said he asked Buhari to hasten the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan as one of the ways of curbing the incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes in parts of the country.

He also commended the president for removing and replacing the Service Chiefs.

Lalong said, “I am a member of the livestock committee under the Vice President and I represent the North Central. That was the purpose of setting up that committee and it made far-reaching recommendations and then funds were to be made available to pilot states, -Plateau and about nine states – to address some of these issues.

“The issue was to move away from the old ways of raring cows and to find modern ways of doing it. In some places, they will do it that way, but then in a confined environment, which was agreed to by all and that is part of the point I was raising; to remind Mr President to hasten the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan.

“We are still left with the herdsmen/farmers problem. The implementation of the NLTP will go a long way to address these issues.

“Whether we like it or not, we need cows and it is also some people’s occupation, but where it leads to conflicts and raises hazards like insecurity, we have to address it.

“While we tolerate it, we must still address it because it is some people’s means of economic livelihood, but it shouldn’t be posing hazards of insecurity to anybody.”

Meanwhile, the presidency on Friday alleged that some people have perfected plans to launch smear campaigns against the person and administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The presidency in a statement signed by the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said some media outlets have been paid off to promote the smear campaign.

He added that the plan is to cause tension in Nigeria by portraying the president as someone who promotes ethnicity and nepotism.

He however argued that this is contrary to Buhari’s promise to belong to all Nigerians.

The statement, quoting security sources said: “Impeccable security findings indicate that those behind the plot have procured online blogs and newspapers, which are to launch coordinated publications, alleging subjugation and suppression of a particular religion and ethnic groups.

“A specific medium has so far contacted some opinion leaders, especially those very critical of President Buhari.

“Part of the planned publication is to make unwary readers believe that the President has continually used the powers of his office to shield and protect an ethnic group against crimes of murder, kidnappings, rape and banditry in the southern, middle belt and some northern states.

“The publication will also refer Nigerians to a 58-page document, which chronicles purported atrocities of the ethnic group in the South since 2017, all of which it claims the Presidency has turned blind eyes to.

“Again, the hatchet job will allege that the President has continued to place members of his ethnic nationality in sensitive positions, so as to confer undue advantage on them. This allegation is by no means supported with reasonable facts and figures.

“Just on Thursday, President Buhari, while meeting with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, restated his even-handedness on the issues of ethnicity and religion. Said the President:

“’The Federal Government under my leadership does not, and will not, allow religious prejudice or partisanship to influence any of its decisions and policies. It is my solemn decision to be fair and just to all segments of society.’”