The Progressive Governors Forum has honoured President Muhammadu Buhari for his steadfastness to All Progressives Congress (APC) and gestures to states to pay salaries.
Eight APC state governors were also honoured for their faithfulness to the party since the merger in 2014.
President Buhari was particularly singled out for the award for the bailout to states to clear backlog of salaries.
At the event which held at the Villa on Friday, the President called for the need for true federalism in Nigerai.
President Buhari who described the award as a surprise, said it’s an encouragement to continue to do more in moving Nigeria’s democracy to the next level.
The award, according to President Buhari is “a reflection of the collective commitment of the states and federal government to work harmoniously to find solutions to the developmental challenges facing the country’’.
He insisted on the need to build bridges across the divide for the sake of a united, indivisible country and promised to continue to implement policies that would improve the welfare of the Nigerians.
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“We remain committed to improving the welfare of the Nigerian people. Your Excellencies, it will be belabouring the point to say that true federalism is necessary at this juncture of our political and democratic evolution.
“At a time when some few privileged individuals and groups have chosen to exploit and manipulate the ethnic and religious fault for seeking personal and partisan advantage, we need to build bridges across the different divides and instill faith in the unity and indivisibility of one Nigeria.”
He acknowledged the APC governors’ contributions to the political, economic, social and cultural development of Nigeria, adding that economic growth and competitiveness of nations depended on the harmonious collaboration of all the tiers of government, particularly in a federal set-up like ours.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
