₦airaland Forum

I thought Agbadorites and Jagabandits said that competence matter most, why are they now talking about religion balancing again

They can now see that the Muslim Muslim ticket is dead on arrival

By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

THE Nigerian Correctional Service, Akwa Ibom State Command has described as fake report being circulated on social media that jailed Barr Inibehe Effiong was handcuffed, assaulted and bundled into a van by officers of the command.

The Lagos-based human rights Lawyer Effiong who was jailed 30days for contempt by the Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot was on Wednesday transferred from Ikot Ekpene correctional centre to the Uyo, custodian centre.

This is contained in a statement signed by
Public Relations Officer Richard Metong on behalf of the Controller of Corrections
Nigerian Correctional Service Akwa Ibom State and made available to newsmen on Friday in Uyo.

It reads: “The attention of the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Akwa Ibom State Command has been drawn to the fake report being circulated on social media that Barr Inibehe Effiong was handcuffed, assaulted and bundled into a van by officers of the Command in a bid to secretly transfer him from Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre to Uyo Custodial Centre.

“The Command is constrained to state that this news is fake, baseless and an attempt by mischief makers to drag the corporate image of the Service to the mud.

“The general public is hereby advised to ignore, discard and disregard the fake news as this is a product of rumour mongers and attention seekers.For the purpose of clarity, Barr. Inibehe Effiong is safe, secured, unhurt and not tortured or humiliated.

“His dignity and human right are not violated in anyway. The human right lawyer was committed to a one month imprisonment in Uyo Custodial Centre by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State for contempt.

“As part of the efforts by the Service to prioritize the health and welfare of the inmates in custody and in adherence to the Covid 19 protocol, all inmates, upon remand or conviction, are isolated for a period of fourteen (14) days at the Isolation Block in Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre before they are transferred to any custodial centre in the state to which they are sentenced”

The statement noted that Inibehe Effiong, upon completion of his 14 days isolation period in Ikot Ekpene, was transferred to Uyo Custodial Centre on Wednesday 10th August 2022 where he is to serve the remaining part of his term as indicated in his warrant.

It stressed that prior to the transfer, Effiong was duly informed and was assisted by the officers of the service who escorted him to the waiting van in which he was peacefully conveyed to Uyo Custodial Centre.

“On arrival at Uyo, he was duly admitted into the facility and was also informed of the need to cut his hair and beards as a security measure as well as a routine practice in the facility which he obliged and willingly allowed the barber using a clipper and not a blunt instrument as speculated on the social media.

“The Controller of Corrections hereby wishes to express the unflinching commitment of the Command to maintain and uphold the human right, dignity and well-being of the inmates, officers and men of the service in Akwa Ibom State.

“It also call on the stakeholders, civil society and the general public to collaborate with the Service to fully deliver on her mandates of safe, secure and humane custody as well as providing security to the society”, the statement added.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/inibehe-effiong-not-tortured-assaulted-by-officers-ncs/

•Current fiscal distress may threaten Nigeria’s sovereignty

•More Nigerians to fall below poverty level

•How to save Nigeria

By Babajide Komolafe, Economy Editor, Udeme Akpan, Peter Egwuatu, Yinka Kolawole & Gabriel Ewepo

The worsening finances of the Federal Government, reflected in declining revenue, increased borrowing and debt service, will impact more misery on Nigerians, prominent economy experts and civil society groups have warned.

The warning is coming on the heels of recent revelations by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, that the FG, recorded a N3.09 trillion deficit in its 2022 budget implementation in four months, from January and April, as subsidy on fuel gulped N1.94 trillion, exceeding revenue for the period by 19 per cent.

Speaking at the Public Consultative Forum on the draft federal government 2023 – 2025 Medium Term Fiscal Framework & Fiscal Strategy, in Abuja, Ahmed said, “As of April 2022, FGN’s retained revenue was only N1.63 trillion, 49% of the prorata target of N3.32 trillion,” adding, “The actual spending as of April 31st was N4.72 trillion.”

Out of the N4. 72 trillion, Ahmed explained that N1.94 trillion was spent on debt service; N1.26 trillion on Personnel costs, including Pensions; and N773.63 billion on capital expenditure.

This development, which follows a pattern, that led to the doubling of the national debt to N41.6 trillion at the end of March 31st, 2022 from N12.6 trillion at the end of 2015 as well as the continued depreciation of the naira and rise in inflation to 18.6 per cent in June. It adds to the reason for the high unemployment rate of 33 per cent and widespread poverty in country, experts who spoke to Vanguard said.

While also outlining measures to address the downward economic trend and its impact on the welfare of the people, the experts, however warned Nigerians to brace up for increased hardship should the FG persist in its spending and borrowing spree.

Less provision of critical infrastructure, amenities

In this regard, the Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Chinenye Almona, stated:”In the face of rising debt servicing costs accompanied with dwindling revenue, provision of critical infrastructure and amenities like healthcare services, education, power, roads, and security will be hard hit as funding shrinks.

We see the unfortunate closure of our universities since February and till now no respite in sight.

Reinforcing this position, Dr. Bayo Adedokun of the Department of Economics, University of Lagos, explained, “If government revenue dips, it will affect all the various sectors of the economy, especially Economic Affairs, which by categorization involves, agriculture, works and infrastructure, transportation, commerce, industry and solid minerals, once these sectors are affected, they can’t create jobs directly and remotely as a result of dwindling govt revenue.”

Adedokun, who is a trade, finance and development expert, added that, “The issue of mounting debt servicing, it is no longer sustainable to use all the revenue to pay debt charges, it will have crowding-out effect on all other sectors such as education, health and social welfare, infrastructural development will be negatively affected, thereby creating wider infrastructural gap in the economy.”

Weak purchasing power & job losses

Similarly, CEO, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, said: “The prevailing economic conditions portend a very disturbing outlook for the welfare of the average citizen.

“Weakening revenue performance, growing fiscal deficit and rising debt service burden are indications of a vicious cycle of fiscal vulnerabilities.

“The implications for citizens and investors are far reaching and include the following:

•Mounting inflationary pressures.

•Weakening purchasing power.

•Worsening poverty conditions.

•Widening inequality.

•Further depreciation of the currency.

•Deteriorating balance of payments position.

•Escalating operating and production costs.

•Ability of governments to meet financial obligations , including payment of salaries will be undermined.

•Capacity of employers to retain and create jobs will be constrained.”

“The extreme hardship that citizens are currently experiencing is partly traceable to the impact of FG’s fiscal rascality.”, said David Adonri, Vice Executive Chairman, Highcap Securities Limited, stressing that the current fiscal distress of FG arising from structural failures and monetary distress due to forex illiquidity have brought misery to the citizens.

“Most worrisome is the reckless borrowing by FG from the CBN through Ways and Means advances which stands at about N21 trillion. This is about 50% of FG’s total debt exposure of N41 trillion. It fuels inflation because this credit is not predicated on any principle of money creation. It is not tied to production but mainly to finance consumption.

“If the current fiscal distress of FG leads to sovereign default, foreign creditors whose funds are currently trapped in Nigeria, can threaten the country’s sovereignty by seizing public assets. Foreign lines of credit can be cut off and Nigeria’s letters of credit may no longer be honoured. If that happens, the impact on production and availability of imported merchandise is better not imagined.

“The resultant consequences of macroeconomic instability, dwindling supply of social goods, underproduction, unemployment and loss of investor’s confidence are now challenges confronting citizens.”

Common man already paying huge price

Commenting as well, Investment Banker/Stockbroker and CEO, Wyoming Capital and Partners, Tajudeen Olayinka, said: “Whatever hurts the economy, hurts the people. The common man is already paying a huge price for poor economic management, through persistent inflation and declining purchasing power. So, the common man will continue to suffer under this disturbing condition, while insecurity could be heightened in the process. Government must pay urgent attention to this disturbing development in Nigeria.”

Similarly, Professor Emeritus in Petroleum Economics and Executive Director, Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation, Wumi Iledare, said, “another point is that the public investment to create a level playing field for the rich and poor kids will be badly impacted as federation funding declines. Education will be badly affected because of centralised planning.”

More People will fall below poverty level

Also weighing in on the worsening financial conditions of the FG, Civil Society Organisations, CSO warned that more Nigerians will fall below the poverty line.

”What do you think is going to be the hope for Nigerians, especially for the many who are below the poverty line?” asked Ene Obi, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN.

”We know that nearly 50 per cent of Nigerians are below the poverty line and yet we continue to borrow and what they are borrowing for they don’t use the money for it, we don’t even really understand it. Is this something that will bring in more money or you are using it for something that is not productive, there is no industrialization.

”The issue of electricity is still a big problem. We take loans for things that are not productive. It is a very dangerous trend and more and more people will continue to go down the poverty line.”, he warned.

The Convener of Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, CDNDC, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, said, “Poor management of the different aspects of the economy in the last seven years has coalesced and dealt a fatal blow to the country’s standard of living.

”Sadly, only the poor masses are suffering the declining trend in government revenue because the ostentatious lifestyle of the greedy elites has not changed.

President and Founder, One Love Foundation, OLF, Dr Patrick Eholor, said, “Whatever the FG does as regards to debt or what have you, it will always take its toll on the citizens.

“Look at the country, from the least (Grassroots) to the average (Common man), what you will see or hear is that there is hunger in the land, this is because there is no good economic structure on the ground to make business flourish.

”That is why when you look at the rate of employment, what you will see is that companies are not ready to employ because there is not enough money to pay staff and rather than employ they will prefer to over-labour their staff and then in turn underpay them.

“That is what you get when a country keeps on borrowing and borrowing and then spends all its earnings on debt servicing.”

The Way Forward

Speaking on measures to reverse the worsening finances of the FG, Chinenye Almona said: “LCCI has consistently advised the government to borrow from cheaper sources and also to consider deficit financing from equity instead of the expensive debts borrowed and used for recurrent expenditures.

“The commercialization model proposed for the NNPC Limited is the right direction to go. Once this plan succeeds next year, it should be replicated with other national corporate assets scattered across the country.”

Muda Yusuf, of CPPE also said: “We need to undertake the following: Urgently reform government expenditure in line with prevailing realities. Address fiscal leakages at all levels of government.

“Reform the foreign exchange market to attract private capital into the economy and stem the volatility of the currency.

“Review the trade policy to moderate the pressure on manufacturers, especially with respect to intermediate inputs.

“Address the growing insecurity to reverse the sharp declines in agricultural output and soaring food prices. Address the challenge of oil theft which is affecting our oil output and foreign exchange earnings.”

According to CEO, Wyoming Capital and Partners, “It is either the government would have to increase taxes or withdraw completely from the subsidy regime, while also cutting back on expenditures.

“All of these decisions at this time would hurt the economy more. I think what is more appropriate to do at this time, is to put the economy on a normal course of adjustment.

“That is, to face reality, by simultaneously reducing current public sector dominance and increasing private sector participation.”



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/economic-crisis-what-to-expect-in-the-coming-days-experts/

By Emmanuel Aziken


The revelation yesterday of the defection of Chris Finebone, the spokesman of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP again brought home the dire straits facing Hon Rotimi Amaechi, the man who championed the change that landed Nigeria in its present situation.

Just last Tuesday, before visiting Nyesom Wike on Thursday night, Finebone had issued a strongly worded communique in which he lampooned the governor for dancing Kokoma at a commissioning event in the face of a measles outbreak that was killing scores of people in some parts of the state.

Finebone was the latest in the growing list of close associates of Amaechi who have jumped ship.

There is little doubt to the assertion that between 1999 and 2015 that Amaechi was about the most influential political actor in Rivers State outside Governor Peter Odili. Not only was he Odili’s trusted main man who helped in making most of the appointments of the era, he ascended to the unchallenged political figure in the state in the period between 2007 and 2015. That was until the emergence of Wike.

Amaechi’s political clout was manifested when he came second in the June presidential convention. Though he subsequently congratulated Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on his victory, the former minister of transportation last month alleged that many of those who sold their votes were already regretting.

His assertion was in the face of the claim that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the APC has made the aspiration of the party a tall dream.

It was as such remarkable that when it came to pick his campaign team that Tinubu has picked two core associates of Amaechi’s to be the face of his campaign.

Governor Simon Lalong was appointed the director-general of the APC presidential campaign council. Besides Lalong, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN was appointed the spokesman of the campaign.

Lalong was the only governor among the APC’s 22 governors who openly backed Amaechi in his presidential bid. It was not for nothing. Amaechi and Lalong had come a long way and came across one another when they were speakers of Rivers and Plateau State Houses of Assembly.

The gist is that after he stepped down as the longest serving speaker on the Plateau and eventually stepped down as member of the House of Assembly in 2007, that Lalong fell on hard times. Amaechi who as governor of Rivers State and then as Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, was able to push forward his old friend as the APC governorship candidate for Plateau State.

This correspondent cannot confirm the claims in some circles that Amaechi funded Lalong. It is, however, generally acknowledged that Lalong could not have become governor without the faux pas by the PDP on the plateau orchestrated by Jonah Jang. That was because Jang foisted the likeable Senator Pwjok, as his successor.

The other major face in the APC campaign team is Olorogun Festus Keyamo, the onetime fire spitting civil rights activist who walked with the legendary Gani Fawehinmi against oppressors in the society. They also walked together against those who they thought at that time had conflicting identities and credentials in high office.

Amaechi was the one who appointed Keyamo as spokesman of the Buhari Campaign ahead of the second term election and believably made him minister in the second term.

Keyamo understandably backed Amaechi in the turf battle the former transportation minister had with the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for the control of the South-South. That battle translated into the struggle for the soul of the APC in Delta State.

Keyamo was known to have famously dismissed the Delta State executive of the party as being populated by those he called Omo-Agege’s houseboys and house girls.

Indeed, the irony for Amaechi and his associates is that two of his leading lights in the polity, Lalong and Keyamo, have now been nominated to project the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu to victory.

Lalong once known as the ‘Alert Governor’ by Plateau State civil servants for the promptness with which he paid salaries especially during his first term, has now engendered a mixed legacy that has made the prospects of the APC in Plateau State dire.

That is on account of months of unpaid salaries, ethnic distrust, political disenchantment and the APC administration’s lack of a signature project.

With the appointment of Lalong who was found unworthy to balance the ticket in the north and Keyamo, it has now emerged that two Christians are to be the face of the ticket to enthrone a Muslim-Muslim presidency! It is an irony for many.

An attempt by Governor Lalong to claim acceptability by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN was firmly rebuked last Thursday when the CAN chairman in Plateau State rebuffed him on his new designation.

Indeed, beyond the optics many Christians do not really see Tinubu as an extremist who should be feared in using religion to oppress non-Muslims. However, the anger for many was that he allowed himself to use political strategy to override the sensibilities of Christians.

How far that strategy will go will be soon in the months ahead.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/the-apcs-christian-christian-campaign-team-for-muslim-muslim-presidency/

Okealaaye:
Quote you? And who may you be? Like you've started to grow hairs on your neck! I should quote you! Na wa o.

I am sorry if you find it insulting, didn't mean it that way

Just remind me when he speaks simple

Okealaaye:
You make it sound like Tinubu ain't articulate! He was Governor for EIGHT years. He was at the head of his Class at Chicago State University. He was Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations. He has always been in the campaign hustings since 1992! He served in the highest hierarchy at ExxonMobil as Treasurer, etc. Yet you're implying that Tinubu is a dunce! Is there anything that cynicism and hatred cannot doubt?

No sir I am not implying any thing rather you should quote me when he speaks

Okealaaye:
The ban on political Campaign hasn't been lifted yet. The masquerade that comes out first may naturally becomes a spectator las las.

Ok,

Please quote me when he speaks

Throwback:
All promises that are belied by his past mediocre performance as Governor.

Obi is a fig tree that cannot bear fruit.

You want to fix the economy?

You know who to give such assignment.

I have obediently gone to verify, Peter Obi is a failure beside Tinubu.

At least we hear him speak when are we going to hear Tinubu speak

Op, I understand your concerns and they are very valid but you have to understand that these south east politicians are career politicians who run to Abuja and pride themselves about being highly connected at the Nation seat of power

They know that a Peter Obi presidency will put a stop to that and ensure they become jobless just like the way he retired some of them in Anambra State to the extent one of them voiced out his frustration by accusing Peter Obi of being stingy because Peter Obi did not provide drinks when people pay him a visit at the government house. Peter Obi answered that the government house is not a beer parlour

donaldking100:
The reason why shaky-shaky Tinubu has refused to do any live interviews is because he knows he would make a big fool of himself.
I'm still waiting for the presidential debate to start.
I can bet my last-card with any urchin that Tinubu won't present himself for the presidential debate.
Urchins; is Tinubu really the man you would be proud enough to present to the world as your president??
What would happen if he is called-up during a United Nations meeting to give a speech?
If you people don't have Shame, there are lots of reasonable Nigerians like me who wouldn't want to be disgraced in-front of the whole world.

Those Agbadorites and Jagabandits will still have an excuse for Tinubu not presenting himself for presidential debate and the excuse will be that, Buhari won the election without presenting himself for presidential debates

Truthisunique2:
Tinubu is senile

He thought muslim Muslim would make all Muslim vote him in defense

Till tomorrow it has backfired, northern Muslim refused the bait like it was nothing

Northern Muslims are still voting Fulani Muslim

Yet tinubu have driven 95% christians from him to get nothing

Tinubu have lost the election long before the first ballot is cast

Government of confusion


Their confusion led us to this sorry state we're in at the moment

The New Nigeria project

Massiveglory:
Abdul05 take this challenge and go to your 80 year old father or grandfather and have this conversation with him.
After that , make your decision.

Abdul04 won't take the challenge because he got his head stocked in Tinubu's ass

Wike is committing political suicide

The bolded caught me


How is the dog and the policeman together

Together in the collection of ₦100 Roger

The real lagosians are asking this same question

Former Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, who was accused of siphoning public funds to the tune of about N109.4 billion, has approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for a plea bargain.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, disclosed this at the resumed proceedings on a 14-count money laundering charge the anti-graft agency entered against the erstwhile AGF and three others before an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama.

The other defendants on trial before the court are an aide to the former AGF, Mr. Olusegun Akindele; a director of the Federation Account, Mohammed Usman, as well as a company, Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, which allegedly served as the conduit pipe through which bulk of the stolen funds was diverted.

A plea bargain in a criminal trial is an arrangement that allows a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser offence in exchange for a more lenient sentence or an agreement for some charges to be dropped.

It enables both the prosecutor and the defendant to avoid a lengthy trial.

EFCC’s lawyer, Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the former AGF and his co-defendants had through a third party, requested to meet him to negotiate the plea bargain arrangement.

Jacobs told the court: “My lord, the defendants sent a third party to me that they wanted a plea bargain meeting and that they wanted to meet me.

“But my reply to them was that I could not meet them in the absence of their lawyers. By the nature of our calling, we must be open and transparent.

“Since section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act encourages settlement and plea bargaining, I told them to come with their lawyers and that I would also invite the investigators to come for the meeting.”

He further said though the meeting was to hold last Monday, a lawyer in the chambers of Chris Uche, SAN, who is representing the ex-AGF, came to his office to protest their exclusion from the arrangement.

He said: “One of the lawyers in the team of the 1st defendant, Mr. Kanayo Okafor, came to my office at the EFCC and protested that they were not carried along and that his client would not come for the meeting.

“I later spoke with the senior counsel, Uche, SAN, for more than 30 minutes over the matter and he protested that we did not invite them. It was at that point that I decided to call the meeting off, even though the senior lawyer eventually pleaded that it should go on.

“I called it off because in the first place, the meeting was at their instance. So, none of the defendants entered the EFCC premises or came for the meeting.”

However, the counsel that represented the ex-AGF in court yesterday, Mr. Goddy Uche, SAN, insisted that his client and his co-defendants were at the EFCC office for the meeting but declined to go further with the negotiation after they were asked to go to the office of the EFCC chairman.

Uche, SAN, had before the EFCC lawyer revealed that the defendant sought a plea bargain, alleged that the defendants were summoned by the anti-graft agency, a development he said made it impossible for him to discuss the issue of purported confessional statements the prosecution intended to tender in evidence before the court, with his client.

He said: “My lord, I could not interview my client on Monday as slated because he was at the EFCC but surprisingly, his lawyers were not carried along. We had thought that one of the prerequisite for charging a matter in court is that the prosecution has concluded its investigations.

“We find it contemptuous that a matter already before the court could be tried in the office of the EFCC chairman. That is not good practice. We were deprived of the opportunity to meet our client to be able to properly prepare for his defence.”

Consequently, following applications by the defence lawyers, led by Uche, SAN, and Ibrahim Ishiaku, SAN, trial Justice Adeyemi Ajayi adjourned further proceedings in the matter till October 4.

Meanwhile, Justice Ajayi had earlier in the proceeding yesterday, revoked the bail she earlier granted to the 3rd defendant, Usman, following his failure to arrive at the court room on time.

Usman was absent when the trial judge entered the courtroom around 9:20am, though his lawyer, Ishiaku, SAN, notified the court that he was held up in a gridlock.

Dissatisfied with the excuse, Justice Ajayi revoked the defendant’s bail and ordered his remand at Kuje prison.

Usman later arrived at the court, even as his lawyer, Ishiaku, SAN, persuaded the trial judge to vacate the order that revoked his bail.

The court had on July 28, granted the former AGF bail in the sum of N5bn with two sureties which it stressed must be a director and a permanent secretary.

The court equally granted the 2nd and 3rd defendants bail in the sum of N2bn each with two sureties that must be directors.

Justice Ajayi said she was inclined to adopt all the terms and conditions of the administrative bail the EFCC previously gave to the defendants.

As part of the conditions, the defendants were barred from travelling out of Abuja, even as they were ordered to surrender their international passports and undertake not to procure alternate passports during the pendency of the case.

The defendants were equally ordered to depose to an affidavit of assurance to abide by all their bail conditions.

The first prosecution witness, PW-1, Mr. Hayatudeen Ahmed had in his testimony before the court, narrated how the defendants allegedly pilfered about N84.7billion out of $2.2bn meant for nine oil producing states.

The witness, who is an investigative officer, said the ex-AGF was arrested, following the outcome of an investigation into a petition lodged against him by the Federal Treasury Concerned Staff Association.

He told the court that investigation revealed that the defendants had after the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, approved $2.2bn for the nine oil producing states, surreptitiously diverted N84.7bn out of it under the guise that it was for the settlement of consultants.

He told the court that a company floated by the 2nd defendant, Akindele, who was a technical assistant to the former AGF, was approved as the sole consultant for the deal.

According to the witness, the defendants sequentially withdrew funds from the Escrow account of FAAC and shared among themselves and other persons that included former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, and former deputy governor of Abia state, Chuks Akomas.

He told the court that his team of investigators uncovered that the former AGF used his own share of the loot to purchase properties such as the Gezawa Commodity & Exchange Market Ltd; Gezawa Integrated Farms Ltd; and Kano City Mall, some of which he said were acquired in the name of his family members.

The PW-1 said his team had in the course of the investigation, interrogated several persons, including a Kano-based Bureau-de-Change, BDC, operator, Beta. I. Kurah, who he said admitted that he received over N1.3bn from the former AGF, all in cash and in US dollars.

He said the BDC operator equally revealed that he made several payments, including the sum of N208million, into the account of Gezawa Commodity & Exchange Market Ltd, in Jaiz bank.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/n109-4bn-fraud-ex-agf-idris-begs-efcc-for-plea-bargain/

Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, yesterday, restated the status of political party primaries monitored in the state, insisting that Senator Godswill Akpabio has not been recognised as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the North West senatorial district.

Igini also insisted that Mr. Udom Ekpoudom had the highest votes and was declared winner as the APC candidate for the senatorial district.

The REC, whose five-year tenure comes to an end soon, said: “In the last few days, despite the fact that many aggrieved individuals, who participated in political party primaries had gone to court to seek redress, I have been inundated with calls and questions mainly from members and contestants of various elective primaries of the APC, making enquiries and wanting to know exactly the position with respect to the APC primaries in Akwa Ibom State.

“The enquiries were in respect to senatorial, federal constituencies, governorship and state House of Assembly candidacy in Akwa Ibom State towards the 2023 general election.

“I am, therefore, once more, impelled to restate for the records the status of party primaries monitored in Akwa Ibom State as my five-year tenure comes to an end and do state as follows:

“Generally, in Akwa Ibom State, all the political parties that conducted party primaries in compliance with the provisions of Section 84(i) 2022 Electoral Act were monitored by the various teams constituted for the exercise by the state office and reports of the outcome endorsed and forwarded to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

“However, not all political parties conducted primaries for all elective offices. The commission fixed the conduct of all party primaries between June 3 and 4, 2022.

“The APC did not conduct its gubernatorial party primary in Akwa Ibom State, which was scheduled to hold on May 26, 2022, at the SheerGrace Arena, 8/10, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo.

“The APC gave due notice of its governorship primaries across the country for May 26, 2022. Akwa Ibom State INEC office received from INEC headquarters the five-man list of the APC Electoral Committee assigned to conduct the governorship primary. The team was headed by one Mr. Tunde Ajibulu, as chairman.

“At 4p.m., the INEC monitoring team, led by the REC, accompanied by members of the lnter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, including the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State, moved to the designated venue for the primary (SheerGrace Arena, 8/10, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo) where prior elected wards, LGAs and state delegates were waiting.

“At 10.30p.m., the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Ajibulu, spoke again on phone with the REC and stated that for safety reasons and the fact that he was traumatised they could no longer leave the DSS office for the venue of the primaries and that all activities be postponed until he gets back to the commission. He never did.

“Consequently, the APC governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State could not hold on May 26, 2022.

“There were false claims that some unknown staff monitors came from the commission’s headquarters that allegedly monitored the governorship primary at 4am. This is not true as no staff of the commission can go to any state to monitor party primaries without a letter of deployment that must be presented for the signature/endorsement of the REC of the state.

“Again, it must be stated clearly that monitors, who come from the commission’s headquarters to monitor party primaries are not secret agents, who sneaked in unnoticed to monitor.”

On senatorial primaries, he said: “In line with Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the APC notified INEC of its intention to conduct its senatorial primaries across the country, including that of Akwa Ibom State. The date fixed for the primaries, according to the commission’s timetable was May 27, 2022.

“This was communicated to all state offices of the commission by way of a schedule calendar sent to a dedicated whatsapps platform and simultaneously cited by all state offices. It should be noted that two calendars were sent that same day on the platform, both indicated senatorial primary for the same 27th (not 28th). The first calendar was posted on the platform by 8:09p.m., and the second was posted at 11:28p.m. All CTC of these calendars have been issued to interested parties.

“INEC, Akwa Ibom State constituted a five-man monitoring team for each of the three senatorial districts and they all monitored the primaries as scheduled for the three districts on May 27, 2022.

“The five-man INEC monitoring team for Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district duly monitored the primary at the designated venue and submitted its report, which showed clearly that Mr. Udom Ekpoudom had the highest votes (of 338) and was declared the winner as the APC candidate for that senatorial district.

“For Akwa Ibom North-East senatorial district, Dr Ndem Ndem emerged winner of the primary, while for Akwa Ibom South senatorial district, nobody was elected because the primary was not conducted by the party in that district.

“It becomes very strange and highly disturbing that particulars of people completely different from the names that emerged from the peaceful and transparent primaries duly monitored here in Akwa Ibom State were not submitted for publication. While the name of Mr. Ekpoudom was completely omitted, an unknown name surfaced for Akwa Ibom South senatorial district where no primary took place.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/akpabio-not-recognised-as-apc-a-ibom-north-west-candidate-rec/

Tinubu's presidential bid was a flop even before it began


Know this and know peace

N

nlfpmod:
ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES

ASUU STRIKE METER
August 10, 2022

YEAR Duration

1999 150 days
2001 90 days
2002 14 days
2003 180 days
2005 14 days
2006 3 days
2007 90 days
2008 7 days
2009 120 days
2010 150 days
2011 59 days
2013 150 days
2017 30 days
2018 90 days
2020 270 days
2022 177 days

Source: Eduplana Research

APC will break the cumulative record because the current strike is not ending soon

Wonderful

Agbadorites and jagabandits accusing Peter Obi of engaging in falsehood and disinformation

When they are in charge of all propaganda machineries dishing out lies and falsehood like the The Nation Lagos-Ibadan expressway propaganda newspaper, TVC, 30k a month social media urchins, fake clergymen etc

Word on the Mable