₦airaland Forum

^^^^ Which of his former wife r u referring
to and under which party?

SHALOM

PDP suspends Nnamani, Masari, others

* Nnamani, others counter, want Ogbulafor out, insist on reforms

From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja

IT was seen coming. The differences between the 'reform group' of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani and the party's executive headed by Prince Vincent Ogbulafor were growing deeper by the day.

While the 'reformers' announced a meeting of the group to hold yesterday to discuss the party's supposed leadership problems, the Ogbulafor-led working committee also issued summons on them to appear (same yesterday) and defend allegations of anti-party activities against them.

And finally, decisions from the various meetings were: that Nnamani, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bello Masari, another former Senate President Adolphus Wabara and others of the Reform Forum were suspended while the 'reformers' insisted on party reforms with the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC).

A statement issued last night by the national secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said the decision to suspend them was taken at the meeting of the NWC yesterday. Baraje explained that the party had invited them to give answers to the allegation of anti-party activities but all of them failed to appear yesterday. He described their action as a disregard for the PDP.

"The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its meeting held on the 22nd of April, 2010 considered current political events in Nigeria and came up with the following resolutions:

* The NWC expressed its surprise at the refusal of members of the Party, operating under a group called the "PDP Reform Forum" to appear before it despite extensive invitations extended to them'', the statement said.

* The party held that the affected members got the information but chose to dishonour the invitation. "The NWC is of the view that the concerned members had adequate notice but declined to utilize the opportunity granted them by the invitation to explain their roles.

* The NWC held that the decision to dishonour the invitation to appear before it is a calculated attempt to disregard lawful directives of the Party in order for them to continue to ridicule the Party contrary to Article 12.1 of the PDP Constitution'', the party said.

Announcing their suspension and trial by the PDP disciplinary committee, the statement said: "Consequently, the following members of the so called PDP Reform Forum are suspended from the Party forthwith in accordance with Article 21.4 of the Party Constitution:

Senator Ken. Nnamani, Hon. Aminu Masari, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Chief Tony Ukasanya, Senator Adolfus Wabara, Chief Sunny Iroche, Senator Emmanuel Agboti, Senator Sylvanous Ngele, Senator Ifeanyichukwu Ararume , Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief Rochas Okorocha, Chief Chris Ekpeyong - former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Hon. Auwal Tukur, former Chief Whip - Hon. Bawa Bwari, Prof. ABC Nwosu, Dr. Peter Odili, Kelechi Igwe, Chief Bernard Eze

Their case has been referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further necessary action, PDP concluded.

Earlier yesterday, Nnamani and Masari's group had held a meeting where they decried the present state of affairs in the party. All speakers at the event, including former governor of Taraba state, Rev. Jolly Nyame, Wabara, Chief Doyin Okupe, Ekpeyong and Prof. ABC Nwosu, among others condemned the present situation in the party and called for overhaul of the leadership.

* Reacting to the suspension yesterday, Nnamani, described as unfortunate adding that what he and his co-travellers were trying to do was to create a party of democrats and "not a conclave of mercenaries and aristocrats."

He declared on phone: "We want our party to be a party of democrats and not a conclave of mercenaries and aristocrats. We must be a party listening to its members before we can provide a government listening to the Nigerian people, and we must be a party of internal democracy before we can be a vanguard of democratic accountability."

Nnamani insisted that what he and other members of the PDP Reform Forum were doing was to create a market place of ideas, "but if they think that they have a monopoly of ideas, then it is unfortunate."

"If I am invited and given an opportunity I will come and say more about what will improve our party and not denigrate it. It is unfortunate that our people have closed their eyes and their ears to ideas that can improve the party," he maintained.

Citing the PDP Constitution Article 9.2 (iv), the former Senate President said the article states that the party "shall encourage regular gathering and social activities aimed at developing familiar bonds among members.", saying "That is exactly what we were doing".

Masari, on his part, had told The Guardian that they had not received a formal invitation from the PDP to appear before any panel.

In fact, Nnamani said he did not receive any invitation in his home, office, or through his e-mail address. "All they expect us to do is to depend on newspaper reports which is not the ideal thing," he added.

Earlier, the PDP Reform forum had called on the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan and relevant organs of the party to immediately dissolve the National Working Committee NWC led by Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.

In a statement issued after their meeting, the group, which had Wabara and Nyame in attendance, said the present NWC should be replaced with people of high probity, integrity and commitment.

"The conference hereby calls on the founding fathers, the national leader and Acting president, Commander-in-Chief, the Board of Trustees, the expanded National Caucus of our great party and all well - meaning members of the Peoples Democratic Party to take all necessary and appropriate steps to urgently dissolve the National Working Committee of the party as presently composed and reconstitute same with men of high probity, integrity and commitment to the ideals of our great party in the interest of the Nigerian nation'', the communiqué read in part.

Apparently urging the party to convene a forum where the removal of the NWC members would be executed, the Forum said; "The biennial national conference prescribed in the PDP constitution, which is currently overdue by three months, (should be) immediately summoned for the purpose of examining and effecting these necessary far - reaching internal reforms''.

The group added that the party must change the situation where delegates to congresses and convention are handpicked by some influential members of the party. "The PDP must revisit the current criteria of selection of delegates for our various congresses and convention with a view to seriously reducing the members appointable by a single individual (be he a state governor or the president/Commander-in-Chief). In fact, elected delegates must outnumber appointed ones'' adding, "Attendance at the conference must be strictly by lection at ward/local government levels''.

The group decried the alleged absence of internal democracy in the party and stressed that it abhors "the tendency in PDP whereby names of flagbearers in the national elections are compiled in air-conditioned rooms and at caucuses rather than at various congresses and conventions as provided for by the party's constitution''.

The meeting, which took place at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Garki, said the NWC is ineffective stating "the forum decried the state of current ineffectiveness of the PDP NWC/ PDP leadership which is neither imaginative nor creative in generating ideas to reinforce founding ideals of the party which made it the political party of first choice in 1999.''

Reiterating that the party needs to review its internal democracy, the group declared: "Forum members urge the party to urgently review its internal democracy mechanisms and take full advantage of the yearnings of millions of Nigerians for a true, endearing and sustaining democratic culture'," adding "we lament the diminishing fortunes of democracy and development in Nigeria in more than one decade of democratic rule, clearly illustrating the grave damage and truncation of the founding ideals, at the inception of PDP"

The Forum urged the party to invoke the relevant sections of the PDP constitution to return party to the dreams of the founding fathers. "That the forum will work assiduously and invoke every constitutional and legitimate provision in the PDP to work with well-meaning members of the party, to seek ways and means to return the party to the pursuit of the noble ideals of the founding fathers and the nationalist spirit that led to the existence of the PDP."

The group lauded the current effort to carry out electoral reform but advised the party to lead the way. "The current efforts of the PDP-led Federal Government and the PDP led National Assembly to reform the national electoral process is most timely and deserve the unflinching support of all Nigerians. The PDP itself must rise to the occasion by putting in place necessary internal democratic reforms to reflect what is being postulated at the national level."


source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01/230410?pdate=230410&ptitle=PDP%20suspends%20Nnamani,%20Masari,%20others

SHALOM

Things seem no longer at ease in the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party as top members engage in power play and plots to gain political advantage ahead of the 2011 polls, writes OLUSOLA FABIYI

The struggle of man begins at birth, so says King Odewale in the adaptation of the greek classic, Oedipux Rex: The gods are not to blame written by Ola Rotimi. However, the struggle may not end there. Perhaps, members of the Peoples Democratic Party have taken a cue from this and that is why they are beginning to contend for the control of the party ahead of the 2011 general elections. Right now, all is not well within the leadership of the party. For more than three times, the Prince Vincent Ogbulafor-led National Working Committee of the party had struggled in vain to fix a date for the party‘s National Executive Committee. The efforts had not yielded any encouraging result. Several reasons have been adduced for this. Ogbulafor on his part said the dates were cancelled due the death of some members of the party.

Specifically, he said that it would be wrong for the party to be holding NEC meeting when two senators from Gombe State died, while a former minister also lost her life in a fatal motor accident. Besides, he also said that members of the NWC took cognisance of the recess by members of the Senate, adding that a new date for the meeting would be announced. Ogbulafor also cited the recent visit of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to the United States as one of the reasons.

However, developments from the Wadata House headquarters of the party might have indicated that Ogbulafor was stating the case as it is. Our correspondent gathered that Jonathan had not been comfortable with the leadership style of the party‘s chairman. Hence, he has refused to authorise the meeting.

Sources close to the Acting President also said that Ogbulafor incurred the wrath of Jonathan when he refused to take charge of the party during the period President Umaru Yar‘Adua was away for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for more than three months. Those in Jonathan‘s camp felt Ogbulafor ought to play the role of a father-figure to all members of the party and make sure that Jonathan assumed the leadership of the country in an acting capacity having realised that the country was seriously drifting apart. But he was allegedly accused of allowing himself to be hoodwinked by some governors and former ministers who were believed to be working against the emergence of Jonathan as Acting President. It was also believed that it was in the light of this that Ogbulafor made the now infamous statement that Jonathan should realise that ‘Power belongs to God‘.

Again, Ogbulafor, who was said to have enjoyed the support of some of the governors led by the Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki while eyeing the office,allegedly aligned with the governors when he told the nation after emerging from a meeting with them that the party would still make sure that the North produced its presidential candidate come 2011. Now, the heat is on him as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission has filed a criminal charge at An Abuja High Court against him.

A copy of the charge obtained by our correspondent showed that Ogbulafor was said to have fraudulently received the sum of N170 million while he was the Minister in charge of Special Duties. The offences were allegedly committed by Ogbulafor and other people charged with him sometimes in March 2001. Investigation carried out by our correspondent showed that the Chief Judge of the Abuja High Court, Lawal Gumi, was yet to assign the case to a judge. At the Abuja High Court, ICPC has two designated judges that handle cases from the commission with a view to accelerating actions in criminal cases filed by the commission. A court source said that Ogbulafor and those charged with him would be arraigned next week. Others charged with him are Emeka Ebilah and Emmanuel Bosah, Secretary/Member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance respectively.

Count one of the charges reads: ”That you Vincent Ogbulafor , Emeka Ebilah and Emmanuel Bosah in the month of March 2001, being public officers, to wit; Minister In Charge of Special Duties, Secretary/Member of the National Economic Intelligence Committee and Director, Budget Implementation, Federal Ministry of Finance respectively, did use your positions to confer corrupt advantage upon yourselves by fraudulently receiving for yourselves through a proxy Henry Ikoh, the sum of N82,631,03.41 from the Federal Government of Nigeria in the name of a company Henchriko Nigeria Limited as payment for a fictitious contract purportedly executed for the Federal Government of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000‘‘.

Ogbulafor and the two persons charged along with him were also accused of conspiracy to use NEIC contract verification panel to verify fictitious contract purportedly executed on behalf of the Federal Government by Henchriko Nig. Ltd from which they received the sum of N82 million.

Also, the PDP Chairman was accused of using his position as Minister of Special Duties to confer corrupt advantage upon himself by fraudulently receiving from the Federal Government the sum of N11.5m as payment for a fictitious contract. The said money was allegedly received through a proxy Chris Abuajah in the name of a company DHL Consultants.

In count five, the three accused persons were charged with using their positions to confer corrupt advantage on themselves by fraudulently receiving from the FG through a proxy Sunday Nmesirianye the sum of N13.7m in the name of Emeprol Co. Limited.

Similarly, Ogbulafor and the two accused persons were charged with receiving fraudulently the sum of N6.2 m from the FG through a proxy Chekwas Obinna using the name of a company Chekwas Industries Limited as payment for an imaginary contract executed on behalf of the FG.

Out of the 16 count- charges filed against the suspects, Ogbulafor would answer to 12. In October 2001, he was said to have received N28m belonging to the FG from one Emeka Ebilah through a proxy Chris Nwoke knowing same to be fraudulently obtained through the verification and payment of make-believe contracts purportedly executed on behalf of the FG; an act which constituted a felony contrary to Section 13 read in conjunction with Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Act 2000. A presidency source told our correspondent that the NEC meeting might not hold until Ogbulafor is charged to court.

”Then, let us see if NEC members will be comfortable having an accused person presiding over the affairs of the party,‘ the source said.

As weighty as the allegations are, it is however curious that the governors elected on the platform of the party are saying he should not be tried. The reasons for their actions are not far-fetched. The governors are believed to be afraid that if the accusation or the case led to Ogbulafor‘s removal, their individual calculations for the 2011 general elections could also be in jeopardy. That is not all. Sources close to some of the governors said since many of them were yet to recover from the shock they received during the ministerial nominations by losing out in the power play in their states, they thought that they could also lose out in the power calculations that would culminate into the 2011 elections. Our correspondent gathered that the apprehension made several of them to turn up for their meeting, which was held at Kwara Lodge, Abuja on Monday night.

Even many of those who had hitherto stayed away from the meeting were present and Saraki presided. The governors who disagreed with the ministerial nominees from their states and were at the meeting included, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Gabriel Suswan (Benue) and Dr. Emmanuel Uduagha(Delta). Presenting the outcome of the meeting, which started at 8pm and lasted till the early morning of Tuesday, Saraki said the governors were not happy that despite the fact that allegations against Ogbulafor had not been proved, several people had started calling for his removal.

He said, ”The governors noted recently how the press had been inundated with allegation of corruption against the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, and that none of those allegations have been proved. Despite this, some are calling for his removal. The governors condemn any move to remove the party chairman or members of the National Working Committee, other than as laid down or stipulated in the party‘s constitution.” Our correspondent also learnt that some northern governors, who were said to be supported by some of their colleagues from the South-South, were also afraid that Jonathan could use the removal of Ogbulafor to settle down and consolidate his hold on the party.

This, it was further learnt, could affect the zoning arrangement of the party of which Ogbulafor was said to have been forced to announce when he had a meeting with the governors. When our correspondent asked Saraki why the governors were not calling for proper investigation of Ogbulafor to determine if he was culpable or not, he said they were not saying Ogbulafor should not be removed but that the right process should be followed.

Saraki said, ”We did not say that he should not be removed. What we said was that the removal of the chairman or any member of the NWC should be in accordance with the laid down guidelines and constitution of the party. The PDP government has been known for due process so when we talk of laid down procedures, internal democracy and so on; we must lead by example and ensure that we follow the party‘s constitution. Anything we do must be in line with the constitution of the party.”

Saraki also said that he and his colleagues had noticed that the barrage of criticisms against Ogbulafor were being spearheaded by a group named ”PDP Reform Forum led by one Honourable Bello Masari, former Speaker of House of Representatives and one High Chief Aleogho Dokpesi.”

He added that grouping was not in line with the party‘s constitution, disclosing that he and his co-travellers had called on the party to take disciplinary actions against those accused of fraud in line with the party‘s constitution. As if the party was awaiting the directive, it immediately summoned 19 members of the party to appear before the NWC for anti-party activities.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Alkali, claimed that it was in possession of ”facts” linking the concerned members to activities capable of subjecting the party to disrepute.

Those invited are former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Masari, former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili and Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Also invited are Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Chief Tony Ukasanya, Senator Adolf Wabara, Chief Sunny Iroche, Senator Agboti, Senator Ngele, Senator Ifeanyichukwu Ararume, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief Ekpeyoung, Chief Abiye Sekibo and Alhaji Awal Tukur.

Also included on the list are former Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Buhari, Prof. ABC Nwosu, and an unnamed former Commissioner of Works, Edo State and Mr. Kelechi Igwe.

But rather than being cowed, members of the group immediately replied both the governors and the party‘s leadership, saying that the leadership of the party must consist of men of integrity. In a statement signed by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and leader of the group, Alhaji Bello Masari titled ”Who we are, What they want”, members of the group said they were of the opinion that the effectiveness of any organisation depends on its leadership and therefore their desire ”is that persons of proven capability and high integrity shall be elected always to run its affairs, especially as member of the NWC

”Our mission, as a reform group is to return to the founding ideals of PDP, seek to re-engineer the party and make it more people oriented, be more creative in the generation of party fund, streamline extant parallel structures in PDP states and ensure more internal democracy, where there shall be a free and fair primary election at all levels.”

Claiming that they were not rebels, the members of the group said that ”members of the forum are bona-fide and authentic members of the PDP who are genuinely and sincerely concerned that the party has progressively and incrementally drifted away from its founding ideals and has completely lost focus under the watch of the current NWC.

”The PDP Reform Forum is not about agitators, professional grumblers and protesters. Rather, it comprises PDP members who have played major roles in the growth and development of the party and have had the privileges of holding office at government and party levels at various times in the past. If therefore our sin at the PDP Reform Forum is that we dare to question the capability of the NWC of the PDP, so be it.”

As the march towards 2011 begins, political analysts are of the opinion that more troubles may lie in wait for the party which prides itself as the largest in Africa.

So who wins??

SHALOM

source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010042338881

@Justwise, yeah i got to ask
d OP dat. Dnt know either he/she is a
9jarian and moreover i dnt know wat
d OP is coming for and how long!

Anyways, lotta options are being given
to d OP here,


SHALOM

Again i will say, stop criticizing anybody
if he is not a man of God leave God alone
to judge him!

SHALOM

Lets leave Kosovo and IBB outta this
and post according to our predictions!

For me,

1. IBB
2. Obasanjo
3. Gov. Daniel
4. Maurice Iwu
5. Alamesigha
6. James Ibori
7. Ayodele Fayose
8. Achike Udenwa
9. Cecilia Ibru
10. Most govs and bank chiefs


SHALOM

@OP

wat is ur main aim of coming here and
whom are u coming to visit?

SHALOM

@ajanlekoko and all

Hope u did not forget me about the
job we discussed. I'm still searching
for a good job ooooooo


SHALOM

yessssssssssssssss

Dnt worry, His next single will tell
us more about it!

SHALOM

It is possible for Mallams to see vision.
At least they do pray.

U dnt need to be a spiri-koko b4 u see vision

SHALOM

@all

Thanks for your input!

British Airways provided me the answer
It flies to Heathrow and then to Helsinki
then to Oulu!

SHALOM

densil:
mind wot u say concerning d man of god else u gt punishd

Please tell them oooooooooo

SHALOM

R.I.P

When i first heard, i was down but later
some1 just came in and said he died:
drinking and driving.

Here is a lesson to all of us here
Stop driving while drinking and dont
drink while driving. It is very bad.

Death has claimed his life. I'm sure
he would have wished not to do what he did!

SHALOM

Tamita:
Oh! REALY?

Yeah, her name is Naomi!

SHALOM

^^^^^

Cant really get you
Anyways, I aint leaving now but soonest

Just getting this info for someone

SHALOM

HEllo all,

Please which airline do fly from lagos to oulu, finland.
Willl like to know this ASAP

SHALOM

@Haronky7

Anyways, I said it earlier on that i dont have
the online link but most pple here saw it in d
national daily.

I even came here to ask who also saw
it and wat pple finks about it all to discover
this IBB and TBJ of a fing!

SHALOM

^^^^ Thanks

SHALOM

@paddylo and all

Please I want to know the distance between these
two places. I am to reach 9, Iro Dan Musa street,
Asokoro, Abuja by 8:30AM on Tuesday and same day,
I want to go to a bank at 2, Yola Street, Area 7,
Garki, Abuja.

After which i will go to Asokoro. Pls
How many mins will a cab take me from Garki
to Asokoro?

SHALOM

The Pilot that flew the plane is my church member.

I was surprised yday when we called her and she
said she was the one who flew the plane together
with one Captain.

Thanks to God she is alive!

SHALOM

Please I want to know the distance between these
two places. I am to reach 9, Iro Dan Musa street,
Asokoro, Abuja by 8:30AM on Tuesday and same day,
I want to go to a bank at 2, Yola Street, Area 7,
Garki, Abuja.

After which i will go to Asokoro. Pls
How many mins will a cab take me from Garki
to Asokoro?

SHALOM

I'm speechless,

Anyways, as for TBJ's prophecies, at least
he predicted Ghana's victory @ d tournament
and also he predicted who won ghana election.

I think we shud stop this IBB of a thing. Is he d only
person and who knows others that will still contest?

Let's be watchful,
Pray 4 d peace of d country!

SHALOM

bigmodo

saw u n ur guys in d crib
dats fine, LOL

SHALOM

@wip4

Bros, infact i can see how upset u r @
dis scammers. Yeah, it is very bad for some1
to always fink of scamming fellow country people!

Imagine some1 ,i neva knew on NL came and asked
me to help him do something. I charged 70k and he
paid 50k 2 ma acct. After 2 days he came and said i shud allow
2 more days for d balance. After which he sent a text dat i
shud refund his money which i did immediately.

The guy called me yday askin about my health and that
he did not see me online. I fink this is wat we r suppose 2 b doin
and not scamming pple!

May God save us sha

SHALOM

@OP

I will advise u to take things easy and if
truly u are a responsible guy, then apply for
tourist visa better than lookin for i.v.

SHALOM

@wip4

Pls dnt say anyfin again.
That one is ok for him.

@justwise: Tnx for a job well done!

SHALOM

Thanks to God for His mercies.

I am even scared of flying on a plane
next Monday! LOL

SHALOM

I cant say about other areas but as for me,
we do experience epileptic power supply but
it is becoming stable now.

Always on in the morning unlike b4 when we live
a week without light!

Gudluck, continue d gud job!

SHALOM

^^^^
I will try search it maybe tis online
Saw it yday in our national daily!

Cant see it for now!

SHALOM

And for FAFs of the people in power!

SHALOM