Its Founder, Mrs Toyin Saraki, said in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos that the last case of WPV was detected on Aug. 21, 2016, in Borno.

“Since then, no new cases of WPV have been detected in any part of Nigeria.

“This is a major step toward certifying our country as WPV free,” she said.

However, the founder said that the country must celebrate cautiously and without complacency.

According to her, to sustain this success, the country must continue Polio mass immunisation campaigns with the same great drive and commitment as before.

“This is vital in order to ensure that all children are protected against polio, including the Circulating Vaccine Polio Virus (CVPDV) which can occur in areas with weak routine immunisation coverage, and other vaccine-preventable diseases,’’ she said.

Saraki said that the foundation’s Maternal Monday social media advocacy campaign and MamaCare Frontline programme were committed to supporting the immunisation work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria.

She also pledged to support the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control.

“Giving mothers access to information on the safety and importance of vaccines is a necessity in order to empower them to make immunisation choices in the best interests of their children,” she said.

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Osinbajo stated this at a dinner organised in honour of President Muhammadu Buhari and himself at the State House Banquet Hall.

Buhari and Osinbajo had earlier in the day been sworn-in for a second term in office by the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad.

The president, who is billed to depart for Makkah, Saudi Arabia on May 30 for OIC summit, was represented at the dinner by the vice president.

“Something interesting happened earlier today; I am a lawyer and a law teacher and I like to test and interrogate legal scenarios.

“At one minute past midnight today, the four year term of the President and I ended by effluxion of time.

“So, from one minute past 12 of last night, May 29 to about 10:30 am when we were sworn in for a second term there was no President or Vice President.

“Interestingly nothing went wrong, all was okay; when such a situation arises, it is the Senate President who acts as President.

“So, when I arrived at Eagle Square this morning, some may have noticed that the Senate President and I were enjoying a joke.

“He said to me jokingly `you better be careful you know I am the acting President now’; so, we thank the Senate President for not doing anything funny.’’

The vice president said that the beauty of democracy was the orderly and civilised process of transition and more importantly, the sanctity of and respect for the will and choice of the people.

He said that on Feb. 23, the Nigerian people freely made a choice to re-elect Buhari for a second term in office.

Osinbajo said it was a choice that was celebrated with pomp and pageantry earlier in the day.

He expressed gratitude to God and Nigerians for trusting the administration yet again as that trust would not be betrayed.

“And so on behalf of the President, please accept our deepest gratitude for your support and presence here this evening.

“The best years of Nigeria begin today, and by the Grace of God all of us will live to enjoy the coming years and many more,’’ he said.

In his address, Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said the inauguration was the official commencement of a new mandate given to the President by Nigerians.

He said that the new mandate was a reflection of the confidence Nigerians had in the administration.

Mustapha said the inauguration marked the beginning of the journey to the Next Level and consolidate on the foundation laid in the last four years.

He solicited the support of every Nigerian including the opposition for the administration in moving Nigeria forward.

In a toast, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said that Nigeria had a peaceful and successful general election.

He said it was only in peaceful environment that sustainable development could be achieved.

Oshiomhole said the celebration was for all Nigerians not just for APC.

The dinner attracted former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, service chiefs, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, members of the National Assembly, APC chieftains, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry.

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His resignation was contained in a statement he personally signed and issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.

Baba-Ahmed, who was the returning officer to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election in Kaduna state, cited the ruling party’s gross under performance as the reason for his action.

“After three years, I need to say that the APC has grossly underperformed, and the party has forfeited any claim to my loyalty and continued membership.

“I do not believe in all conscience, that it should be trusted and encourage to continue to govern our great country beyond 2019,’’ he said.

Baba-Ahmed said that his decision was personal and had nothing to do with the office of the Senate President.

“This is my decision and mine alone, it is a decision taken after due consultations with the Akida group, a group that has predated my appointment as Chief of Staff to the President of Senate,’’ he said.

Baba-Ahmed did not state his next plan of action, but reiterated his commitment to continue to participate in active politics.

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Saraki said this in a statement issued in Abuja signed by his Special Adviser Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu.

The police spokesman, Moshood Jimoh said on Sunday in Abuja that they had invited Saraki to come and explain allegations of complicity in the recent attacks by suspected armed robbers on some banks in Offa.

He said more than 30 people, including nine policemen and a pregnant woman, were killed during the attack.

Jimoh said five of the suspects arrested had claimed that they were thugs working for Saraki and Kwara governor Abdulfatai Ahmed.

“I will want the entire public to disregard this claim as a baseless allegation and another ploy by the Police to implicate him by all means.

“Let it be known that there is no way I could have been associated with armed robbery against my people, he said.

He recalled that when the incident happened, he was the first top public official to pay a visit to the place.

He said he had, during a visit palace of the traditional ruler, put a call to the InspectorGeneral of Police, Ibrahim Idris, requesting him to make certain specific security arrangements as demanded by the people.

“Members of the public will remember that on May 16, 2018, I alerted the Senate about the information passed on to me by my State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, over a plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to frame me up by getting some suspected cultists arrested in Ilorin to implicate me.

“It is believed that the timely leakage of the plot in that case aborted the use of the suspected cultists to implicate me. Now, it is the Offa bank robbery suspects that are about to be used.

“Like the earlier one, this frame-up will also fail as I hereby state categorically that I have no link with any band of criminals,” Saraki said.

He said he was ready to honour the police’s invitation whenever it wss extended to him.

“As a person, who has utmost respect for the Rule of Law and all constitutional institutions, when the invitation from the Police is formally extended to me, I will be ready to honour it without any delay.

“It is however sad that this abuse of the criminal investigation process aimed at intimidating and over-awing the legislature, thereby obstructing it from doing its work, is a big threat to our democracy,” Saraki said.

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Our correspondent reports that members of the senate delegation included former governors of Nasarawa (Abdullahi Adamu), Gombe (Danjuma Goje) and Akwa Ibom, Mr Godswill Akpabio.

It was observed that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Mr Ita Enang also accompanied the senators to the meeting with the president.

It would be recalled that the Senate had on May 9 passed vote of no confidence on the IGP, describing him as “enemy of democracy’’ over his failure to honour its invitations twice.

Idris, however, asked the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Joseph Habila to represent at the senate.

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Wednesday also accused the IGP of plotting to implicate him and Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara in a murder case involving some suspected cultists.

The Senate on Thursday raised a 10-man panel to meet with President Buhari over the allegation leveled against the IGP by Saraki.

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Saraki made this known via his twitter handle on Monday.

He said,“I have received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari informing the Senate that he has returned to the country.

“I have also acknowledged the letter.’’

Our correspondent reports that the letter will be read in plenary when the National Assembly resumes from its recess on Sept. 19.

President Muhammadu Buhari had written to the National Assembly informing it of his medical trip to London, which he commenced on May 7.

He had transmitted power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to act in his absence.

He returned to Nigeria on Aug. 19.

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A statement signed by the speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan, quoted Dogara’s Twitter handle @Yakubdogara as saying that Buhari was doing well.

It added that the speaker, who visited the President with the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki at the Abuja House in London, also urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the safe return of the President.

“Today we visited His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. I am glad that he is doing well.

“His health has improved tremendously. I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray and offer thanks to God for answered prayers and for the safe return of Mr President.”

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The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, also condemned the tragedy and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the killing of worshippers was evil.

He called on security operatives to bring perpetrators of the crime to justice.

”Today, my heart goes out to Nigeria’s Christian community, Gov. Willy Obiano, the people of Anambra and the families of the victims and the survivors of this terrible massacre.

”This brutal act of attacking innocent and unsuspecting worshippers represents the purest kind of evil.

”Our security forces must not stop until everyone involved in the orchestration and execution of today’s massacre in St. Philip’s Catholic Church is brought to book by the strong arm of justice.

”The Senate will continue to offer assistance in this endeavour because today, all of us as Nigerians have been attacked by this senseless act committed by evil people,” he said.

Saraki further urged security agencies in the country to step up their intelligence activities to prevent activities of criminals.

He also called on security agencies to unravel any crime committed against Nigerians by undesirable elements in the society.

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He recalled that the crisis in the red chamber began immediately after its inauguration, with his emergence as president of the senate, with Ike Ekweremadu, A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, as his deputy.

Saraki stated this when he featured at Forum in Abuja, and said in spite of the crisis, the senate had recorded unprecedented success.

He said that though President, he was only “first among equals’’ and as such, he ensured that every member of the chamber was carried along in all the plans of the senate.

He said that in spite of the distractions from court cases and wanton allegations, the senate ensured that it remained focused on the agenda it drafted prepared for itself.

“From day one we had an agenda, a legislative agenda.

“It will be interesting for you to get a copy of that agenda and look at those promises that we made; you will see that some of the things we have been doing are not by chance.

“It is like somebody who is working through a document and he is ticking it and that is why. We have been organised, we have been focused, because we had an agenda.

“Our agenda is that the senate will be addressing the economy – that we championed made-in-Nigeria was not by chance; it was part of our agenda.

“We said to ourselves, what can make Nigeria’s economy grow, people are spending so much on importation, why don’t we try and save that.

“Government spends about N1.3 trillion on importation, why doesn’t it spend that on locally-produced goods? So, let us pass a bill that any MDA, before it goes to buy a foreign good must see that there is no local alternative.

“If we do that, it means that that N1.3 trillion will be spent inwards. We are talking of infrastructure, it is these laws.

“Railway law has been there for more than 50 years, nobody has reviewed it until we came.

“Ports, inland revenue and now, we are talking about PIB. These are economy-based issues.

“With Ease-of-doing-Business rule, we are passing bills that will allow Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to get credits without having landed property.

“We are improving on credit, to allow banks lend to small scale businesses.

“It is because we have been focused, determined and strong-willed and not distracted. Sometimes, I see that all the noise is distraction,” he said.

He attested to having won the unanimous support of his colleagues though at the beginning there were divisions even within his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Saraki added that members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were also cooperating, supporting the agenda that will grow the economy and better the country.

“I will humbly say that I have been able to win the support of all my colleagues, I have been able to win their confidence, because the way I occupied leadership is that it is `we’, not `me’.

“That is why many people misunderstand this place and say it is the President of the Senate that has done that, but most of the things are done collectively.

“I am just first among equals. It is not like the executive where you can fire a minister or commissioner; it doesn’t work like that here, I cannot fire Olusola Adeyeye, for instance.

“If you understand that, you will win their confidence. I will say that 99 per cent of the Senate is going in one direction and that is what we have been able to achieve. And who gains for that, the country.

“This is why, for example, the Constitution amendment, we could do it.

“You will know that even on the day of the Constitution amendment, we did not sit for two hours because some senators refused and said there was something funny and they delayed us for two hours.

“But when we sat and I addressed them and told them that I was not here to protect anyone’s agenda, that I am here for all of us, then we sat and achieved all of that,’’ he said.

Saraki added that when “we wanted to do the Petroleum Industry Bill, some senators stood up and said `no, this governance bill has nothing to do with host community, my people will not be happy’.

“I gave them my word, saying `pass this governance one for me, I promise you I will bring the host community’s’.

“Those in the PDP are also working with us; when there are national issues we call them and tell them `don’t bring issue of party here, let’s think of Nigeria’ and that is what we have been able to achieve.”

Saraki cautioned Nigerians to be wary of those who try to discredit the senate, pointing out that most of them were doing so out of selfish interest.

He said that most of those championing negative campaign against the National Assembly were those whose selfish interests of taking control of the legislative arm failed.

He added that some of them had resorted to disparaging the assembly.

Saraki, therefore, called on Nigerians not to join in weakening “the key institution of democracy which is the national assembly’’.

“Most of those noises are not in the interest of Nigeria, they are personal agenda.

“People who wanted a certain person to emerge as Senate President or Speaker of the House and they have not got it are saying `since we cannot win the battle for the National Assembly lets distract them’.

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He gave the advice while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

Saraki said that the anti-corruption fight as currently being prosecuted was only directed at recovery of stolen funds, and promised that the National Assembly would help to re-focus the campaign.

According to him, although recovery is good, it will make no sense to allow more money to be looted only to begin another face of recoveries. Recovery alone cannot amount to anti-corruption fight.

“You see, let us separate recovery from fight against corruption.

“We still believe that yes, recoveries are being done, but are we doing anything to actively stop corruption going on now?

“This recovery has gone out there; they are two separate issues – the focus I am seeing is recovery but corruption is still there; that is the area that we are focusing on as a senate.

“Anybody that brings a case about what is happening now, we will go in, look at those agencies and expose them.

“We want to continue to represent the people in that way,” he assured, adding that the senate would support to ensure that more funds were not stolen in the country.

Saraki said that the senate already had a roadmap for the remaining two years of the 8th Assembly.

He said that apart from corruption, building the economy and creating jobs were top on the list of areas that the upper chamber would give attention.

“Over the next two years, we will continue to focus on the economy to see how we can get the economy moving, how we can create jobs for the teeming youths that are unemployed.

“We will also give attention to improvement on health and education. Education is going to take a lot of attention in the next two years.

“We are going to be looking at the social sides, the issue of education and universal health coverage. That is something that we want to push.

“We will continue to support agriculture. We are looking at some bills that we can pass that will give some kind of stability; it is one of the concerns when people invest in agriculture.

“You know agriculture takes years; people are wondering that the Federal Government can reverse policies, so we are trying to see what laws can give some measure of security in the areas of investment.

“Much of what we are doing is in economy and intervention; we want the people to see, and if you are having problem anywhere, bring it to your senator. We want to be responding to the issues,” he said.

Saraki said that the senate had already intervened in a lot of issues that affected Nigerians like the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) strike which the upper chamber had brought to government’s attention.

He added that the senate also intervened when there were concerns about Islam and Christianity, when communication companies tried to raise data rates and in fight against corruption.

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