₦airaland Forum

It was a free-for-all in Owerri, the Imo state capital, on Tuesday, as chieftains of the Social Democratic Party in the state exchanged blows.

The crisis led to the suspension of the state Congress which was billed to take place at the party’s secretariat situated on Wetheral Road in Owerri.

Our correspondent who was invited to witness the botched Congress observed that trouble started after some Local Government Area chairmen stood against the commencement of the Congress.

They insisted that staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission who were invited to witness the Congress should go.

Insisting the Imo state chapter of the SDP was “not for sale”, the aggrieved politicians said that the internal differences must be resolved before a state Congress would hold.

The exchange of words snowballed into a fight when the Oguta Local Government Area chairman, Chidi Oziri, approached his Okigwe LGA counterpart, Nwankwo Maduka, and told him to sit down.

Maduka immediately warned him, then Oziri punched him and used weapons, which included chairs on him and Maduka retaliated.

The exchange of fisticuffs spread to the other chieftains who attacked each other freely, destroying party equipment and locking the secretariat.

Addressing our correspondent, the SDP chairman in Owerri zone, Chidiebere Oja, said that the Congress could not go on because they had information that some chieftains of other political parties from the state wanted to implant moles in the party.

The visibly enraged zonal chairman said, “Imo SDP is not for sale. What you saw today is spontaneous combustion of anger by the real members of this party. Those who have worked for years to keep this party alive and moving in the state. They got information that politicians from other political parties from the state want to hijack Imo SDP. We will not allow that to happen. We have asked INEC staff members who came to observe the Congress to go because the Congress will no longer hold. We will communicate them when we resolve the internal differences and fix a new date.”

A stakeholder from the Ehime Mbano LGA, Remy Nwachukwu, said that suspending the Congress was the best thing to do to save the face of the party in the state.

He accused politicians of trying to come into the party from the backdoor, insisting that every plan to disorganise SDP in Imo state will fail.

The state chairman of the party, Ben Anochie, who later addressed the crowd announced that the Congress had been suspended, informing that a new date shall be communicated after the State Working Committee had met.

PUBLIC SERVICE: THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE

Betty, FLOOS, let me choose this great day in our lives, our 41st wedding Anniversary to notch up in print my support for your popular and known quest to serve your people in the Senate.

The evolution of modern societies bears indelible evidence of significant inputs of few people. This trajectory records definitive impacts of those who dare to think and act differently. The consequence of this defiance finds expression in radical departure from the old order, leading to transformation. It yields quality accretions which impact positively on the people in any given space.

The world owes those who dare a debt of gratitude for audacity, tenacity, consistency and focus. These torch bearers withstand the brunt of vilification, contempt, deprivation and even rejection. They remain undaunted until the set goal is achieved. They are rarely praised afterwards.

Public service is taken as the highest form of participation in the affairs of a human community, state or a country. It ennobles anyone, privileged to serve, whose tenacity, focus and integrity ensure development. Only a few are truly equipped for service. They must be encouraged at all times.

Anytime, anywhere and under whatever circumstances, those who hold views which threaten to shatter age-long widely held beliefs and/or practices are a special breed. Those whose activities have borne positive impact on the lives of the under-privileged, must be supported by all good people.

I join all other well-wishers, admirers, supporters and stakeholders to support, openly and without any reservations or equivocation, my Adorable Betty in her bid to continue to serve the people in her State of birth, Imo.

I do this, most enthusiastically, as a partner, admirer and active follower for over four decades. I consider myself highly privileged to have a workaholic, gender and human rights activist, humanist and philanthropist as wife, adviser, harshest critic, supporter, political associate and, above all, an unrelenting ideologue, ready to sacrifice and confront any obstacle, natural and artificial. I am of the firm belief that any group, society, community, state or country, privileged to avail itself of the quintessential service of a bold crusader, as she, is lucky indeed.

Seeking to continue what she started long before I came into politics, when she ran for the House of Representative, at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, is not strange to me or anyone who has been watching the activities of this special personality. I SUPPORT HER ASPIRATION NOW, AS I HAVE ALWAYS DONE, EVEN BEFORE I JOINED POLITICS. I know her to be a passionate believer in rectitude. I believe in her mission to emancipate women from the shackles of all forms of oppression.

I have known her as a fiercely independent personality who is never afraid to voice her dissent on any issue. I have witnessed her triumphs over adversities at close quarters. She made me appreciate more the nuanced difference between foolhardiness and courage. Many have come to accept her as a rock of refuge for the oppressed and hopeless. She has been a strong advocate for equity and justice and against unprofitable superstitions, beliefs and habits which predispose people to diseases and avoidable deaths.

I am proud of this gift from Imo State. I support her aspiration wholeheartedly. I am convinced that the people of Imo State will enjoy quality representation from her. Her presence in the Senate promises exciting moments.

I harbour no anxiety that my Adorable Betty, ADA OWERE, has all it takes to BEMORE. While offering her my unalloyed support, I wish her all the best in this current quest to extend and particularise the scope of service in the interest of the people.

May the will of the Almighty be manifested and fulfilled in this endeavour, and many more, designed to uplift the downtrodden.

May fair winds aid this sail!

Your Darlin,

ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI O. AKEREDOLU, SAN
GOVERNOR, ONDO STATE

The Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Sulaiman, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

He announced his defection during the breaking of fast last night at the Government House Bauchi, with Governor Bala Mohammed alongside PDP stakeholders from Ningi, Toro, Warji and Dass local government areas of the state.

Abubakar emerged as speaker of the Assembly during a controversial election on June 21, 2019 on the floor of the assembly by 11 members of the 31 lawmakers.

At the inauguration of the 9th assembly, PDP had 8 members, APC 22 and a member under NNPP. The development created a factional speaker, who later submitted to the leadership of Abubakar after 16 months.

About three years after his emergence, Sulaiman said his decision to return to the PDP was as a result of his good understanding and working relationship with the governor and promised to work together for the best interest of the state.

“I want to use this opportunity today to officially announce to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed and other stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of my formal defection to the State ruling party,” Sulaiman said.

“One of my reasons to return to PDP is in recognition of the exemplary leadership style of our Governor and his commitment to transforming the state.”

With Abubakar’s defection, APC has 16 members while PDP has 15.

A source told The Guardian that another member of the APC is expected to follow the Speaker while the majority leader, Tijjani Aliyu, has been consulting to leave the APC.

Press Statement

2023 Election : Gov Ganduje Orders All Political Appointees Running for Elective Offices To Resign

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state directed all political appointees running for elective offices in the forthcoming 2023 general elections to resign from their respective positions.

The directive said "They are given between now to Monday 18th April, 2022, to resign."

To comply with Section 84 (12) of the newly amended Electoral Act.

Abba Anwar
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State
Saturday, 16th April, 2022
cps@kanostate.gov.ng
fatimanbaba1@gmail.com

The National Council of State has okayed the national population census for April 2023 after the general elections.

Director-General of National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa-Kwarra, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after a meeting of the Council of State presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Isa-Kwarra also said the NPC would be conducting a pilot census from June 2022 after political parties must have concluded their pre-general elections activities.

The NPC boss, who recalled the last census exercise held in 2006, disclosed that the commission will deploy high technology for the exercise.

He said through census data is generated for planning, noting that the data currently being used are mere projections and obsolete.

Isa-Kwarra said: “It is very crucial because I have highlighted that the census is a very important exercise for the nation.

“Because through census we generate the data that we use for policy making, for planning, for development, by the three tiers of government, and the private sector, they all need this.

“If you are a private sector, you’re producing something, certainly, you need to know the population of an area if you want to create a market there.

“So census data is very crucial, very important. Because, the data we’ve been using are just projections, estimation. And are sort of obsolete, we need the actual census data to use for our planning.“

Jigawa Governor Abubakar Badaru disclosed that Buhari will meet security chiefs next Tuesday over worsening security situation following recommendations and comments by the Council of State.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the Council of State approved 159 out of 162 applications presented for consideration for perogative of mercy for convicts and inmates in correctional centres.

The Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, said the council approved the conferment of National Honours Award on 434 Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in the various field of endeavours.

This is the fourth time the President will preside over the meeting with the first held on October 21, 2015 and the second on September 7, 2016 and the third virtually in August 2020.

The Council of State is an organ of the Federal Government saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy making matters.

Members of the council include: President Vice President, past presidents, Senate President, House of Reps Speaker Chief Justice of Nigeria, serving and past.
Others are Attorney General of the Federation, all State Governors and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday be meeting with the Service Chiefs.

The meeting comes amid the increased security challenges in the country.

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, @officialABAT is expected to meet with Past and present Speakers and Deputy Speakers of state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria in Lagos.

[quote]The bill, if signed into law, would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, which currently has over 187,000 members, comprising regular staff and volunteers.

The Senate has passed the Peace Corps bill.

The bill, sponsored by Borno senator, Ali Ndume, seeks to give legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement.

The bill was passed by the eighth Senate in late 2017 but President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the legislation in February 2018, citing security concerns as one of the reasons for his decision.

He had also cited paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies by the proposed corps as his main reasons.

Mr Ndume reintroduced the bill to the ninth Senate on December 17, 2019.

And during the second reading of the bill in December 2020, the lawmaker said the core mandate of the corps is to develop, empower, and provide gainful employment for the youth to facilitate peace, volunteerism, community services, neighbourhood watch and nation-building.

The legislation, if passed, would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, which currently has over 187,000 members, comprising regular staff and volunteers, he had told his colleagues.

The lawmaker also said all the issues raised by Mr Buhari for withholding assent to the bill in the eighth Senate had been addressed in the new bill.

Passage
The passage of the bill was a sequel to the consideration of a report of the Senate Committee on Interior.

The committee was asked to conduct public hearings and other legislative works on the bill.

Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Sadiq Umar, echoed the objectives of the bill.

He said the panel received hundreds of memoranda and many stakeholders supported the bill.

He added that the legislation will be “a great benefit to Nigeria” and urged his colleagues to support the bill.

In a committee of the whole, the Senate considered all 40 clauses of the bill and passed it afterwards.

The House of Representatives is expected to concur with the Senate on the legislation after which it will be transmitted to the president for assent.

In the past years, the Peace Corps was widely anticipated by many Nigerians who believed the corps will partly address the nation’s unemployment and insecurity crisis.

Many others, however, opposed the bill, saying it creates a new bureaucracy at a time existing security agencies are underfunded.

In 2017, lawmakers had planned to veto the president’s rejection. But an attempt to override the president’s veto of the bill failed in the House of Representatives in May 2018.

Today, I declared my intention to run for a second term in office while inaugurating the 21 local government council chairmen at the famous Ribadu Square.

Similarly, I received three PDP Presidential aspirants, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the Government House Yola.

The electricity national grid has collapsed again leaving the country without public power supply.

The latest collapse, the third in less than a month, came despite assurances by the Federal Government that it has taken steps to address the problem.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) who manages the grid had last month said it had developed an alternative ways of managing the grid.

TCN had stated that its “in-house engineers have deployed a stop-gap solution to improve grid monitoring and acquisition of data from remote stations (power stations and transmission substations) to the National Control Centre. This was achieved by utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) solution, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) by using various Internet Service Providers (ISP).

“This temporary use of the Network Automation System was deployed to assist TCN in conveying critical operational measurements data from remote stations to NCC using Web Technology, which is an integral component of the IoT. So far, the data received from remote stations has enabled NCC to obtain more insight into the situation of the power flow on the grid and has enabled NCC to make decisions that have impacted positively on the security and integrity of the Grid.

“The stop-gap solution became necessary as TCN could not access and receive comprehensive operational data of the entire power grid for managing the fast-growing system. The existing inadequate SCADA System cannot provide adequate grid visibility, as parts of the existing SCADA system are moribund and damaged, coupled with an ineffective telecommunication network infrastructure. The fact that several stations were never integrated into the existing SCADA at all, and made grid visibility and management very difficult and inefficient”.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Senator Abba Moro and two others in charges of fraud over the 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Thursday held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to establish the allegation of procurement fraud against the defendants.

Moro, who was Minister of Interior at the time. arraigned alongside former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; an ex-director in the ministry, Felix Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, which was acquitted and discharged in 2021.

They were accused of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering in the recruitment exercise which ended in tragedy with over 14 deaths caused by a stampede in some states.

Justice Dimgba dismissed the allegation of abuse of office against Moro over inadequate arrangement and safeguards for the exercise after 667, 000 applicants paid N1, 000 each.

He said the NIS CG testified that there was inadequate funding for the exercise, while also failing to directly take charge of the exercise.

“I believe some flak must be reserved for the PW1 (David Paradang), who was the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service,” he said.

Evaluating the submissions of the prosecution, Justice Dimgba said the Drexel’s proposal to conduct an e-recruitment was in national security interest due to allegations of nepotism and jobs racketeering in the previous exercises.

He said the prosecution failed to show that the failure to advertise the contract gave undue advantage to the company, Drexel.

However, the judge convicted Nwobia on one of the counts of the charges, but adjourned sentencing to April 27 in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Update: Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuff has joined the Labour Party in pursuit of his Gubernatorial ambition. Lasun Yusuf is expected to pick the nomination form of the party any time from now. #OsunDecides2022

The abductors of Abuja-Kaduna train passengers have said their aim was not to gain ransom from the Federal Government, saying they don’t want money.

In a video released by the assailants on Wednesday, the bandits stated that the government knew what they wanted, and threatened to kill the victims if the demands were not met.

The video was made sequel to the release of a victim, Mr Alwan Hassan, Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture.

One of the bandits, who spoke in Hausa language, said the MD was released due to his age and in the spirit of Ramadan.

“We are the group that recently abducted passengers on the train. Among them is this man that has been pleading with us due to his old age and we felt pity on him because of the month of Ramadan, so, we want to give him back to his family,” they said in the video.

Another bandit, who was amongst others in military uniform, concurred with what their leader said, and asked the FG not to investigate them, else, the victims will be killed.

He said, “I want to reiterate that what he said is true. Don’t try to investigate us immediately or to rescue them because killing them is not an issue for us.

“We don’t want your money, if we wanted money, we wouldn’t have carried out the attack. You know what we want”.

Mr Labaran Maku, National Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Maku, a former Minister of Information under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lafia.

He said his decision to return to the PDP was in response to the yearnings of his people in Nasarawa State.

NAN reports that Maku had defected from the PDP to APGA in 2015 after his unsuccessful attempt to clinch the PDP governorship ticket.

The former minister contested for the Nasarawa State governorship position in 2015 and 2019 on the APGA ticket.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has said it is scheduled to meet with all 36 State House of Assembly Speakers in Abuja on Friday.

The purpose of the meeting is to rub minds and brainstorm towards finding urgent solutions to issues of national importance.

According to an invitation issued by the Director-General of the NGF, Mr Bayo Okauru, the emergency meeting will be held at the Frazier Suites in the Central Business District in Abuja.

It is expected to commence at 4pm and be chaired by NGF Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The Governors are expected to help facilitate and enable the Speakers in their various states to attend the meeting.

“We seek Your Excellencies’ indulgence to kindly facilitate the participation of the Hon. Speaker of your State House of Assembly at this important emergency meeting,” Mr Okauru emphasised in the invitation letter to all governors.

The founder of the House On the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin on Sunday, revealed the plan of Christian leaders to get 15 million more voters ahead of the 2023 general election. In response, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has insisted that Nigerian Muslims have the overall majority.

MURIC’s response was contained in a press release issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 4th April, 2022.

The statement reads :

“The founder of the House On the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin has allegedly revealed the plan of Christian leaders to get 15 million more voters ahead of the 2023 general election. But Adefarasin must be joking if this is true. Nigerian Muslims have the overall majority.

“Why are Christian leaders flaunting the voters’ cards of their members? There must be something behind it because this is not the first time Nigerians will be preparing for a general election. They have a game plan and we have an idea what they are up to.

“There is a grand plot to disenfranchise Muslim voters. They have enrolled their church members as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad hoc staff. They have filled sensitive posts in INEC offices with their church members. They will set the machinery in motion for massive rigging of elections by disallowing Muslims from registering as voters before the election. It is called forward-looking rigging strategy.

“Anyone wearing turban, cap or hijab will not be allowed to do capturing during the registration exercise. It is not a new game. They have always used their church members as INEC officials to stop Muslims from registering and collecting PVC. It happened far back in 2003 and all complaints lodged by MURIC at that time was ignored by INEC.

“We had to organise a massive protest to INEC office, Ikeja, Lagos, when the deadline for registration remained a few days before INEC allowed Muslims in hijab, cap and turban to register. But they are yet to show remorse. They have been repeating it during every registration exercise (2007, 2011, 2015, 2019).

“MURIC calls the attention of INEC leadership to this mischievous and obnoxious practice. We will hold INEC responsible for connivance if any of its ad hoc staff disallows a single Muslim from registering for the 2023 general elections.

“We charge Muslims all over the country to go out there and get their voters cards. We appeal to Imams to make the issue of massive registration for the coming election a major theme in their Friday Khutbah. This is the time to teach arrogant boasters the lesson of their lifetime. This is the time to make Muslim majority number count in votes.

“How can those who marry only one woman and have just four children each claim majority status over those who marry four women and have as many as sixteen children? These are people who have been deceiving the Muslim majority with false claims of oneness. They have been misleading Muslims by warning against religious politics whereas they are the real culprits behind religious politics.

“But the game is up. The eyes of Nigerian Muslims are now wide open. Never again will Muslims use their majority to vote for their oppressors who are the minority. Never again will Muslims use their large number to vote against their fellow Muslims.

“2023 general election is going to be a protest vote as far as Nigerian Muslims are concerned. Let the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) and House on the Rock vote for their Christian candidates and let the Muslims vote for Muslim candidates. That is when we will know who is grandstanding and who is being realistic.” #MuslimvoteMuslim #LetMuslimVotesCount #AllowMuslimsToVote

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)