Today, HE @PeterObi and his team are in Gombe State, engaging in a community service overseeing the installation of a borehole in the Kofar Gidan Alh Babayo Kusada Kasuwar Dawaki Pantami community, of Gombe State. HE Peter Obi is providing financial assistance to over 100 individuals. This impactful initiative is part of his nationwide tour aimed at fostering positive change in rural communities across Nigeria.
Peter Obi Denies Plan To Dump Labour Party Amid Crisis, Says Higher Electricity Tariff For Band A Customers Is Normal
April 7, 2024
Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election has denied that he is planning to leave the party.
In March, a former spokesperson for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, said Obi was planning to leave the Labour Party and join a former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Bwala, who made the allegation in a post on his X handle, said Obi was planning to leave the Labour Party following the current crisis in the party with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatening to take over the party.
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State in the Southeast region, joined the Labour Party in May 2023 in the buildup to the 2023 general elections following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Obi was absent at the party’s national convention during which Julius Abure was re-elected as the party’s national chairman.
During an X Space session, Obi said that he didn’t attend the event because the party’s leadership failed to heed his appeal for wider consultation with relevant stakeholders before the exercise.
Reacting to media reports following his grouse with the leadership crisis and speculations that he might defect before the 2027 election.
After donating a borehole to a ram market in Tike Pantami, on Sunday, Obi denied the allegation, saying, "No, there is no such thing.”
The former Anambra governor urged the people to unite, saying he believed in peace.
“Our concentration should be on peace and I believe that we will resolve all situations," he said.
Reacting to reports that he and former Kaduna governor, Nasir E-Rufai would soon be joining the Social Democratic Party, Obi said he was “more interested now in Nigeria's success today than tomorrow”.
He said, “We are always concentrating on the election rather than what Nigerians are going through. My commitment is about Nigerians living in a better society and given a better life."
Regarding the recent hike in electricity tariff for Band A customers, Obi called for the provision of remedy, especially in poor areas.
He noted that “everywhere in the world those living in Band A areas pay more while those in rural areas are subsidised".
He made the remarks on Sunday when he donated a borehole to Pantami Sheep Market in Gombe State, a market with thousands of business owners and households.
By Christopher Emmanuel Updated April 7, 2024
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has debunked rumours making the rounds that he is leaving the party, insisting that he stands for peaceful resolution of issues in the party.
He made the remarks on Sunday when he donated a borehole to Pantami Sheep Market in Gombe State, a market with thousands of business owners and households.
Obi said he is visiting various states of the country to meet needs of people especially during the Ramadan fasting by Muslim faithful.
The Labour Party has been plagued with intra-party squabbles of late, with Julius Abure being in the eyes of the storm. Some members of the party have insisted that Abure’s tenure as LP chairman was over but a recent national convention of the party held in Anambra reportedly returned Abure re-elected, a development that has been rejected by many party members and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), with the labour union maintaining that Abure must go.
Following his recent assertion that Anambra State was the poorest state in the country, that it was educationally backward, lacked priorities and suffered from poor infrastructural development, governor Peter Obi of Anambra has said that former FCT Minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was speaking out of ignorance.
According to Obi, his administration had laid a proper foundation for the solid growth of the state from a near zero situation when he assumed office six years ago, noting that only those who had not been to the state, and who had poor knowledge of the state’s recent history could say so.
He said, “I am surprised that somebody I am not sure has been to Anambra State even as a minister comments about the state from the point of view of what I consider as pure, unadulterated ignorance.
“It is an insult to the Igbo race to openly or even remotely suggest that any part of Igbo land is the poorest in the country. This negates our resourcefulness and ingenuity as a people.
“Honestly, I do not know what propels him or what interest he is protecting. We need people to help to assess and validate what we’re doing. We’re on course and we’re doing the right things.”
“The handover of schools to their former missionary owners and the take-off grant of N6bn for their infrastructural development is a feat that was replicated in the health sector with handover of hospitals to mission schools.
“On sports development, the state’s fortunes have been witnessing a steady rise in recent years at sports festivals due to government’s conscious sports development strategy aimed at spotting and grooming young talents to stardom.
“Our emphasis is on the youth not on adults and we’re marching towards a situation where the state will recapture its lost glory,” he said.
It would be recalled that the former Minster over the week said that “Obi has a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1984) and enjoys the title of being the youngest Chairman of Fidelity Bank. Considering Obi’s career achievements, and the fact that he has been to the Supreme Court successfully three times to reclaim his electoral mandate, the people had high hopes that he would improve on the stellar performance of Ngige, sadly, this has not been the case, as his administration has seen increasing crime rates, infrastructure deficits, a number of strikes over minimum wage, higher tax burdens and exodus of elites, among other challenges.”
Anambra’s budget of misplaced priorities by Nasir El-Rufai
Published on June 8, 2012 By Daily Post Staff
We continue our budgetary analysis with the South-eastern state of Anambra, with a view to analyse how the state’s budget plans to address development challenges within the state. The state is bounded by Delta to the West, Imo to the South, Enugu to the East, and Kogi to the North. It has a total land mass of 4,416 sq km, situated on the eastern side of the River Niger and has 21 local government areas. Its major towns are Awka, its capital city, the commercial town of Onitsha, and the industrial city of Nnewi. Anambra has a population of 4.2 million and is the nineth most populous nationwide. Most of Anambra’s population is rural. However, as is with every major state, rural-urban migration poses serious burdens for the state’s resources. This pressure is evident in Onitsha where amenities like decent housing, potable water and electricity are in short supply.
Old Anambra State was created in 1976 from part of the East-central state, and its capital was Enugu. Following further state creation in 1991, it was divided into two new states, Anambra and Enugu. Anambra now has its capital in Awka. Governor Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) resumed office in March 2006, after the removal of Dr. Chris Ngige by a Court of Appeal judgment in Enugu which ruled that Ngige’s election in 2003 was defective. Obi was impeached in November 2006, but was reinstated in February 2007 after the impeachment was overturned. Although a fresh election was held in April 2007, he returned to office in June 2007 after a court ruling decided that he should be allowed to complete his four-year term. He was re-elected for a second term in 6 February 2010.
Obi has a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1984) and enjoys the title of being the youngest Chairman of Fidelity Bank. Considering Obi’s career achievements, and the fact that he has been to the Supreme Court successfully three times to reclaim his electoral mandate, the people had high hopes that he would improve on the stellar performance of Ngige, sadly, this has not been the case, as his administration has seen increasing crime rate, infrastructure deficits, a number of strikes over minimum wage, higher tax burdens, and exodus of elite, among other challenges.
Unemployment rate in Anambra is among the highest in the South-east zone, at 21.3 per cent, it is higher than the national average of 21.1 per cent. Imo’s unemployment rate is 29.9 per cent and Enugu is 15 per cent. The state has tried to reduce unemployment through its Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) and the Anambra Youth Reorientation and Empowerment Program (ANSYREP), but the problem with these programmes is that they contribute very little to the production base of the state.
The incidence of poverty in the state is very high – actually disappointing. The South-east has a food poor incidence of 41.0 per cent of which 60.9 per cent is absolutely poor, while 66.5 per cent is relatively poor and 56.8 per cent live under a dollar a day. Anambra has a poverty index of 22.8 per cent, the third highest in the zone, and shares the sixth lowest position in Nigeria with Rivers State which also has 22.8 per cent. About 47.6 per cent of the state’s population is core poor, 45.0 per cent is moderately poor and only 7.4 per cent of the state’s population is classified as none poor. Income inequality as measured by changes in Gini co-efficient between 2003 and 2010 increased slightly by 7.6 per cent as against 18.1 per cent for Ebonyi and Enugu States 7.5 per cent increase.
The people of Anambra State are known to be brilliant, enterprising and resourceful. Most of Nigera’s brightest professors, writers, public servants and politicians hailed from the state. One would expect that given this enterprising spirit, the state would create conditions conducive to innovation, business and development. This is not the case, out of the five South-eastern states, Anambra has the fourth lowest ranking for ease of doing business; it was at a distant 35th position out of the 36 states and FCT in 2010. Starting a business involves nine procedures that may span 39 days. Enugu with the best doing business ranking in the zone, takes the 30th position of the 36 states, while Imo is ranked 36, as the most difficult state to do business both in the South-east and nationally.
Anambra State is not much endowed with mineral resources and the few known to exist are not exploited. For example, Tungsten at Oba, and large deposits of lignite in Onitsha, Idemili, and Nnewi councils are yet to be exploited. Kaolin is mined in the Ukpor lhembosi axis for the ceramic industry at Umuahia in Abia State; while the deposits at Afuleri are not exploited. Sandstones of Ameke Formation are quarried in several places, particularly at Abagana and Nsugbe for construction purposes. Natural gas has been discovered at Ebenebe Ridge, southeast of Ebenebe town, and preliminary prospecting indicates that crude oil exists in commercial quantities in the state. Cash crops in the state include coco yam, cassava, rice, maize and oil palm.
The 2012 budget for the state is N82.5 billion as against N66.9 billion in 2011, representing a 23.2 per cent increase. N46.8 billion (57%) is apportioned for capital expenditure, and N35.7 billion (43%) is for recurrent expenditure. Analysing the recurrent budget further, N9.2 billion or (26%) is set aside for Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges, N16.3 billion (45%) for personnel costs, N7.4 billion (21%) for overhead costs and N2.8 billion (8%) as subvention to parastatals/ tertiary institutions. Anambra’s total IGR for 2012 is projected at N12 billion, the same figure as was projected in 2011. This means, while its expenditure has increased, the state has not enhanced its capacity to collect or expand its tax base.
The two major contributors to IGR in 2012 will be N6.7 billion from taxes and about N4 billion from fines and fees. If this IGR is measured against the states projected personnel costs of N16.3 billion, Anambra cannot pay its staff salaries without reliance on federal allocation; this means it is one of those ‘dependent’ states and is not economically viable for independent existence. The 2012 budget will be funded by projected capital receipts of N47 billion, N12 billion as IGR and N36 billion as FAAC allocations, bringing total revenues to N95 billion, out of which N12.3 billion would be transferred to Capital Development Fund. In sectoral terms, N28.2 billion (34.2%) is allocated to the economic sector, N24.2 billion (29.4%) to the social sector, N9.7 billion (11.82%) for the environmental sector and N20.2 billion (24.52%) for general administration.
The education sub sector is allocated N10.99 billion. The state has a longstanding reputation of being an educationally advanced state: it has at least nine institutions of higher learning, its literacy rate is comparatively high, in a 2010 NBS literacy survey, youth literacy in the state was said to be 92.9 per cent and adult literacy at 74.0%. However, compared to its South-east neighbours, the state has the third lowest adult literacy amongst the five states, Abia has 78.2 per cent, Imo 80.8 per cent, Enugu with 64.6 per cent and Ebonyi with 69.8 per cent. This means that in education terms, Anambra is performing poorer than most other states in its region. From this regional perspective, it means investment in education urgently needs attention and ought to be ramped up.
A meagre N1.4 billion is budgeted for health, and considering that health should be the core focus of any state government, this amount is barely adequate. From this sum, it is evident that the government has misplaced priorities, apportioning only 1.7 per cent of the entire budget to a sector that directly affects the livelihood of all of its populace.
Another major problem of the state is roads and soil erosion. In a bid to tackle this, the government apportioned N10 billion to continue the construction of several intra-state highways and bridges, targeting the completion of about 100km of roads this fiscal year. However, only N1.696 billion is allocated for drainage, erosion control and sewerage. This we believe would not address the challenges in that area. Water supply which also is a major problem will get only N800 millio: of this sum, it is hoped that expansion works on major water schemes would be carried out, and new ones built. This sum is little, and may not amount to much improvement in water supply in the state.
Agriculture is apportioned N1.4 billion, an evidence of misplaced priorities: with figures like these, it is no surprise that unemployment in the state is high. How can a state government allocate only 1.7 per cent of its entire budget to agriculture in a rural state? Unemployment can be tackled effectively with agriculture if the value chain challenges in food and cash crops production are tackled. The housing sub sector will get N1.8 billion, the government plans to partner the private sector in providing more residential accommodation, a core focus will be on completing all existing projects. This is commendable.
What is clear from this analysis is that the state like most states of the federation is not allocating funds to adequately address the key social challenges that confront its people. It should slim down the size and cost if its government, learn to prioritise its budget allocations, expand its revenue base from taxes by attracting Federal Government and private sector participation in mineral exploration, improve its business climate by easing the starting and running of a business.
The state like other South-east states must address the security challenges arising from violent crimes and kidnapping that has scared the elite and investors from the state. The state should leverage its human resources by refocusing the priorities of government on SME and industrial development, investing in infrastructure, agriculture and human capital. It needs to capitalise on the enterprising nature of its people by tackling unemployment, poverty and infrastructure deficits.
Until that time, it will remain a state with big prospects and very little growth.
naptu2: The origin of the battle between El-Rufai and Peter Obi.
Everybody knows that there has often been clashes between El-Rufai and Peter Obi, but what is the cause of these clashes? Today I'll take you back to the beginning.
First I'm going to give a summary, then I will quote and repost all the old posts in subsequent posts.
Summary
2012
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai had a newspaper column in 2012 and he used his column to analyse Nigerian budgets. He analysed the Federal budget and the budgets of various states. There wasn't any problem until he analysed the budget of Anambra State.
El-Rufai used "facts and figures" to back his claim that, although the Government of Anambra was trying to grow the revenue of the state, it wasn't doing enough. He showed that Anambra was one of the poorest states in Nigeria and he christened the budget a budget of "Misplaced Priorities". I will post El-Rufai's full analysis in subsequent posts below.
This analysis angered Governor Peter Obi. He said that El-Rufai had probably never been to Anambra and was therefore not qualified to analyse Anambra's budget. He said that the analysis was an insult to all Igbos and that Anambra could not be one of the poorest places in Nigeria. He concluded that El-Rufai was speaking out of ignorance. I will post Governor Obi's reaction in subsequent posts.
2013.
The 2013 Anambra governorship election was scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 16th. Governor Peter Obi was backing the APGA candidate, Willy Obiano, the APC candidate was Chris Ngige, the PDP candidate was Tony Nwoye and the Labour Party candidate was Ifeanyi Ubah.
The APC set up a situation room in Awka and it was headed by their deputy national secretary, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
What is a situation room? Political parties usually have agents at the various polling units and collation centres and the job of these agents is to make sure that there is no rigging and to gather evidence of malpractice for the political party. They are allowed to view sensitive materials, to make sure that they have not been compromised and they monitor the various stages of the election process. The agents can also give the party a real time idea of whether they are winning or losing (based on the results from the various polling units)
Political parties set up situation rooms where they'll receive reports from their agents in the field in real time. They also have analysts in these situation rooms who can analyse the data that's gotten from the agents and advise the candidate accordingly.
The staff at the situation rooms during a governorship election are usually from out of state. This because they need to monitor the situation right from the release of sensitive materials in the early hours of election day until the final result is released and this means that they need to be at the situation room for two or three days straight. Meanwhile the candidate needs every vote that he can get, so he wouldn't want potential voters locked up in the situation room.
Nasir El-Rufai told the media (on the day before the election) that he noticed some SSS operatives following him and he also stated that they were at his hotel. He said that they tried to prevent him from going downstairs to eat dinner at the hotel's restaurant, but he pushed past them. El-Rufai was being interviewed by a journalist when SSS operatives showed up seized the tape recorder from the journalist and deleted the interview.
The SSS told El-Rufai that they were at the hotel to protect him. He said that he came with his own security and that he did not need any protection from them. The SSS also told journalists that they were there to protect El-Rufai and that Anambra was a dangerous place.
What has all these got to do with Peter Obi?
Well, Peter Obi told journalists that Nasir El-Rufai has no business in Anambra and that he shouldn't be there. He said that he cannot go to monitor an election in Katsina and therefore, El-Rufai has no business being in Anambra. This statement, which mirrored what Governor Obi said during the budget clash, made some people to believe that he was behind El-Rufai's detention. However, there is absolutely no proof that Governor Obi ordered El-Rufai's detention.
I'm going to post the statements of El-Rufai, the SSS and Peter Obi below.
Since then there have been regular clashes between both men, as you can see from the screenshot on the 6th post below.
He posted this today (Friday) in reaction to Daniel Bwala's tweet.
D.H Bwala @BwalaDaniel
BREAKING-Peter Obi @PeterObi allegedly planning to unite with El-rufai @elrufai in Social Democratic Party as Nigerian Labour Congress set to take ownership and custody of their political party, the @NgLabour. Recall that there was a judgment of court that states that Nigeria Labour Congress owns Labour Party. NLC is now prepared to take custody of that party.
Twist and turns in the coming days. But all that will not give sleepless night to @officialABAT who himself has his magic wands to wield
BREAKING-Peter Obi @PeterObi allegedly planning to unite with El-rufai @elrufai in Social Democratic Party as Nigerian Labour Congress set to take ownership and custody of their political party, the @NgLabour. Recall that there was a judgment of court that states that Nigeria Labour Congress owns Labour Party. NLC is now prepared to take custody of that party.
Twist and turns in the coming days. But all that will not give sleepless night to @officialABAT who himself has his magic wands to wield
APC rewarded you for your valuable betrayal to PDP. You were even flown to Paris. Why are you still here openly telling lies? What more is there for you to gain?
naptu2: Chief Oseloka H. Obaze was the secretary to the Anambra State Government in the administration of Governor Peter Obi. He was also the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the 2016 Anambra State governorship election. He is now a key figure in Peter Obi's Presidential Election Campaign Council.
A Field Marshal Of The Han Dynasty @General_Oluchi
Some Obidients are already willing to “shift ground” for Obi/El-Rufai alliance in some spaces I popped into.
Damn jokers.
Is this what poverty, desperation and hopelessness has pushed you people to?
I am hearing arguments that El-Rufai is the only one that can tackle Tinubu.
Datti instilled fear in APC but Obi tamed him. Obi wanted him to calm down, why are people saying Datti is calm? How?
Why did El-Rufai campaign for Tinubu? If he was benefiting from this government, would anyone dare pair him with Obi?
Do you even know who we are talking about here? El-fvcking-Rufai?
If you like Peter Obi, you won’t imagine such insidious alliance. Have you thought about the long term effect of this?
El-Rufai wants to be the president and the only way he can sell himself is to latch on a clean candidate. Otherwise, no one will listen to him. If El-Rufai gets into Aso Rock, no other region will be allowed to have it. Obi might just be the last democratically elected president of Nigeria with him!
I am dropping this here to whom it may concern. Thoughts birth Ideas which births actions, and you people need to be careful of what you wish for!
Obidients are inadvertently falling prey & acquiesing to being lured into silly distractive conversations via trolled "loss leaders". Conjectures on @PeterObi's prospective party, alliances & running mates is most unhelpful. Focus should be on stopping APC running Naija aground.
I haven't come across anything as amusing in quite some time as seeing Peter Obi's naive supporters advocate for an Obi/ElRufai ticket in 2027. I am sure even in his wildest imagination, Peter can't imagine Malam stooping so low as to become his deputy.
Politics › Re: Peter Obi Donates Borehole To Gombe Community by naptu2(op): 5:50pm On Apr 07, 2024*. Modified: 6:15pm On Apr 07, 2024
