₦airaland Forum

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has insisted that the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is behind the New Year attacks in the state.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, the governor talked about his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the President’s directive to the Inspector-General of Police, his grouse with Miyetti Allah and the solution to the herdsmen/farmers crisis.

What can you tell us about your meeting with the President and what are the interventions he promised you?

My meeting with Mr President today (Tuesday, Jan 9) was very fine. He did express his sympathy and condolences to me and the people of Benue State again and appreciated the efforts that we’ve been able to make so far to contain this challenge.

He did assure me that he is not leaving any stone unturned until we are able to surmount this challenge and he has directed the IG to relocated to Benue State and to ensure that this does not happen again. He is also gathering other intelligence to see what can be done further to ensure that we eliminate this. He also confirmed that criminals will not be spared and there is no room for anyone that comes to kill in the name of anything whatsoever. Human lives are precious and should be respected. And he is going to do everything to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book and sanctioned. I think that is the right way to go.

I repeated my calls for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who are the perpetrators of this. These are known people. These people gave this threat right from the day we signed this (anti-grazing) bill into law – on 22 of May 2017. And when they did a press conference in Abuja in June, I immediately petitioned against them that these people should be arrested to the security agencies. They continued this threat when I had even given a grace period for the commencement of this law on November 1, 2017. They continued with their threat and I further reminded the security agencies that there was the need to arrest these people. Unfortunately, the process, as I am told, is ongoing, but no arrest was made until we saw this unfortunate thing that befell us on the first of January and instead of celebrating, we went into mourning. It is unfortunate, and I think things need to be done because impunity should not be allowed to thrive in Nigeria.



The President has asked the Inspector-General of Police to relocate to Benue. Have you been able to speak with him and has he told you when he is going to resume duties in Benue State?

We spoke, and I am waiting to receive him here in Makurdi this evening. He has convened a stakeholders meeting tomorrow here in Makurdi and I am supporting him. I am going to do everything possible to ensure that his mission as directed by Mr President is successful and I believe that with this directive, there should be a new relieve for the people of Benue. As I talk to you, there over 60,000 refugees. People are running all over the place; some out of fear of the unknown are just running to unknown destinations and I have refugee crisis on my hands at this time because these people have continued to issue threats and they are confronting even the security men that are here. Even today, the soldiers that were deployed in my council area in Guma Local Government Area, they confronted them.


Did you speak to the President specifically about Miyetti Allah?

Of course, that is what I am saying. I have spoken to him that those are the people I know and I have documentary evidence against them.

What makes it difficult for this Miyetti Allah leadership to be arrested if, according to what you have said, they are the alleged perpetrators?

Well, I am told that arresting (people) is a process. So, that is ongoing. That is what I have been told, but there is need to arrest these people because if we allow them to go scot-free, it will not serve this country good. Like I always say, if you allow impunity to thrive, you are asking for anarchy. It is wrong. I am a law-abiding governor and all I have been trying to let my people know is that for development to come to Benue, we must be law abiding. Let the people know that we do things in an orderly manner, we don’t just do things anyhow. When I came in (as governor) I disarmed the youths who were armed. Today, relatively, we were peaceful until this unfortunate incident happened. Benue State was putting itself together. It is difficult to say (what makes the arrest difficult) since I am not a security agent and I am not a professional in that area, but I am told it is a process that will continue. I think that I have done the needful, the people of Benue have done the needful and what is needed is intelligence gathering to security agencies. This we have done.

Are there members of the Miyetti Allah, the alleged perpetrators of this attacks, who are from Benue because at some point, the IGP has been reported to have described this incident as a communal clash?

I want to believe that the IG was misquoted because he can’t say that. He is aware that the police in Benue are already prosecuting some violators of this (anti-grazing) law and even those who were arrested after the 1st of January mayhem on our people… even today, two people who were arrested as a result of these killings were arraigned.

Going forward, what would you say is the lasting solution to this problem?

The lasting solution to the problem is what we have done – ranching; nothing but ranching. Globally, the best practice for cattle rearing and breeding is ranching. All over the world, that is what is obtainable. Yes, we promulgated this (anti-grazing) law and we have started implementation. As I talk to you, over 20 people who violated this law – both the herdsmen and indigenes of this state – are in prison; they have been arraigned by the police. Now, you can see that the herdsmen/farmers clashes are all over the country; in Adamawa, in Kaduna, Plateau, Abia, Ebonyi, all over the place. It is happening. We must adopt modern ways of doing things. The population is not the way it used to be in the 50s when there was open grazing and cattle routes… My worry now is for these militia men to be (going about) killing security agents. It becomes a very disturbing problem if trained security agents who are armed are killed and slaughtered as we saw in Logo Local Government Area. But thank God, the IGP is coming here and I hope that normalcy will be restored.


https://www.channelstv.com/2018/01/09/benue-killings-i-documentary-evidence-miyetti-allah-ortom/

James Faleke, running mate to late Abubakar Audu in the 2015 gubernatorial election in Kogi state, says Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, got his position as a gift.

In a statement on Tuesday, Faleke said the governor has never contested any election and won.

Faleke said this while reacting to comments credited to Bello that President Muhammadu Buhari would garner more votes in Kogi than in Katsina, his home state, if he seeks re-election.

Faleke, who was a former campaign coordinator for Buhari in Lagos, said the governor is not capable of such feat “in view of the level of his unpopularity in the state”.

“It is the height of deceit and folly for a governor who is notorious for neglecting the welfare of the citizens of his state by owing them several months of unpaid salaries and pensions, a governor who cannot even provide basic infrastructure like water, road, and hospitals, to boast of being able to lead the same citizenry who are daily dying of hunger to vote en masse for President Buhari,” the statement read.

“I refer to a boastful statement credited to Governor Yahaya Bello that Kogi state would garner more votes for President Buhari in 2019 than Katsina state and I ask myself why is the Governor fooling himself thinking he is fooling Nigerians.

“First, the governor has never contested for any election and won before. Not even councillorship election. The governorship seat he is occupying today, he didn’t campaign for. He was simply gifted the seat, so how can such a person stand to discuss election issues?

“How can a governor who is not registered as a voter in his state and has no voting rights mobilize votes for no less a person than Mr President? So when elections are being discussed, he should be told to keep quiet.”

Faleke said the question to be asked is if Buhari will win Kogi under Bello as “chief campaigner”.

“The answer is no. This is because he has killed the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, demoralized and dehumanized the citizenry with his policies, thereby stripping us of critical campaign issues in the state.”




https://www.thecable.ng/faleke-mocks-yahaya-bello-know-elections-havent-even-won-councillorship-seat

I agree with you on this sir

PDP is taking over God willing...

The Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Interior, Adams Jagaba, on Monday evening formerly dumped Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mr. Jagaba, who represents Kachia/Kagarko constituency of Kaduna State, announced his decision while reacting to his suspension from the APC in Kaduna State.

“APC is a sinking ship and I won’t perish with it,” he said.

Mr. Jagaba, who said he had expected to be expelled from the party, did not announce the party he would join.

Sources close to him, however, told PREMIUM TIMES he will soon declare for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“I expected dismissal and now a suspension. It’s been long I bid them farewell,” the lawmaker said.

“My body language, my utterances, my actions, and inactions have demonstrated that I had parted ways with them for a long time. It’s unfortunate that they are not practical scientists to realize it,” he said.

He alleged that the APC has shown that the security and welfare of the people is not a priority.

“The electorates are poorer now, Fulani herdsmen have continued to attack and kill my people unabatedly with both the federal and state governments doing nothing."

“The governor of Kaduna State has continually said, he does not need the votes from Southern Kaduna to win an election. He has demonstrated that he values the life of a cow than the lives of Southern Kaduna people."

“So I can’t stay with them in the same party,” he added.

The lawmaker said he would never beg to return to the APC.

“The power lies with the electorates and not in the hands of a political party,” he said, adding “if they are expecting me to come crawling on my knees to beg them, then they are day-dreaming.”



http://saharareporters.com/2018/01/09/house-reps-member-dumps-apc-says-party-sinking-ship

I hope he maintains his lane this time? enough of his nonsense!

Lovely family

A developing story just reaching our news desk has revealed that a Mi-17 helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force crashed in the North East during a counter-insurgency operation.



The Nigerian Air Force Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunboh Adesanya who confirmed the development said the helicopter ‘suffered mishap’, he also noted that the aircraft had a significant damage but no life was lost.



Adesanya said “The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has however directed the constitution of a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.

http://wdn.com.ng/breaking-news-naf-helicopter-crashes-north-east-counter-insurgency-operation/

God bless our gallant soldiers and God bless His Excellency too

who knows Olujimi in Political sphere if not for God and Fayose... Let her test her popularity in Ekiti by contesting for Local Government election.

Splinz:
Fayose, the only lion that roars and even the Presidential rats run for cover.

Twale baba!

He deserves this award over and over again... you can argue this with Buhari

Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, emerged this column’s “Man of the Year 2016,” beating other deserving personalities to the prize. The reasons for the award and the qualities that stood Fayose out were unambiguously stated. Awards such as this are meant to recognise and celebrate merit; and to encourage and promote attributes and qualities that serve society and the cause of humanity.

They must necessarily be rewards for the heroics of individuals that, against all odds, rose above challenges and life-threatening obstacles to perform extra-ordinary feats without which individuals and society as a whole would have suffered untoward and or irreparable losses and our civilization as we know it today would have been imperilled.

Therefore, awards are not to be traded in the open or black market or under the counter; they should not be given to the highest bidder or those willing to pay 500 or 200 thousand US dollars for them to “qualify” for such awards, which are then bestowed with razzmatazz in celebration of deceit and base mercantilism. I dare to say that this is corruption. Whatever we call it – “President of the Year”, “Governor of the Year”, “Minister of the Year”, and “Banker of the Year” or “Man/Woman of the Year” – awards must clearly state the qualities or heroics that qualify the person eventually chosen.

For instance, the courage and boldness to speak truth to power, confront dangers that imperil, and promote the cause of the common man whose voices have been emasculated by many negative factors stood the late Gani Fawehinmi out during his life time.

The irrepressible spirit, the can-do spirit, the never-say-die spirit displayed by the Ransome-Kuti brothers, Fela and Beko, stood them out of the crowd and won them recognition and acclaim.

The humility and holy living of the RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has won him honour and respect home and away; just as what was generally perceived as the Spartan lifestyle of President Muhammadu Buhari eventually landed him the presidency, as citizens reasoned he would give a battered nation going adrift a new lease of life.

Unfortunate as it is that this hope has now turned into ashes in our mouth, it does not in any way vitiate the good intention of many who, acting in good faith, promoted and voted Buhari into office, even though he has now recompensed our good intentions with evil. Witness all over the country the New Year gift of horrendous massacres and bestialities of Fulani herdsmen whose Life Patron Buhari reportedly is! Witness also the president’s consistently tepid response to what should be treated as national calamity! Selfless service and self-sacrifice in promotion of the public good and an uncommon love for his people made the late Nelson Mandela a living legend; same qualities resonating in the political career of the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, has written his name in gold to this day.

In the latter days of MKO Abiola, he stood resolute against injustice and died for a just cause, for which he is remembered and celebrated to this day. Today, however, most awards are given for pecuniary considerations. The undeserving is the one who often carts home the award.

Last year, when I named Fayose “Man of the Year 2016,” I gave as reason his principled and irrepressible voice of opposition to the powers-that-be. In a situation where the APC-led Buhari administration had leveraged on the facade of an anti-corruption war to unleash EFCC and DSS to cower the opposition and muzzle conscientious Nigerians into silence (even complicity), Fayose remained, like the biblical John the Baptist,

the lone voice of reason and opposition crying in the wilderness and aridity of principled opposition in the country. The PDP having been run over, with its “spokespersons” Olisa Metuh and Femi Fani-Kayode clamped into detention and other leaders harassed by the EFCC and the Secret Services, Fayose rose to the challenge and became “the last man standing.” I will never be able to effectively assess the good that Fayose has done this country with the void he filled for us or adequately compensate him for his heroics. Whereas he was, and still is, painted by mischievous and misguided elements as a Buhari hater, the truth is that his principled stand has done the government itself and our renascent democracy a world of good.

Without vibrant opposition there can be no virile democracy. Without someone consistently holding the feet of a powerful president like Nigeria’s to the fire, dictatorship will sprout and take firm hold and we shall all be imperilled. This was the major consideration that won Fayose the 2016 “Man of the Year”. The additional included the giant strides Ekiti made under him in the education sector. Called “the fountain of knowledge” because of the acknowledgment that pound for pound and square metre per square metre, Ekiti stood head and shoulders above other states of the country, education nevertheless fell into neglect under the watch of the two administrations (plus a Sole Administrator) preceding Fayose’s second coming; such that Ekiti took the rear position in WAEC, NECO, and other examinations. In 2016, Fayose turned the tide and propelled Ekiti to the first position in NECO exams and a leading placement in WAEC. In other areas of educational endeavours, Ekiti students won awards and laurels; achievements which were unthinkable in the immediate past administrations. Massive infrastructural development in the face of lean resources was another additional that won Fayose the award last year. Truth be told, most of the landmark infrastructure in Ekiti today bears Fayose’s signature. The icing on the cake, however, was Fayose’s anti-graze law that effectively contained herdsmen in the state.

Herdsmen had invaded Oke-Ako, a remote part of the state, leaving death, sorrow, and mourning in their trail.

Fayose relocated to the troubled community, talked tough, empowered vigilante groups to defend their communities and promised an anti-open grazing law that would curb the excesses of herdsmen as well as bring errant ones to book.

He was criticized and mocked by opponents. Today, however, we know better! Fayose’s anti-graze law is not only working fine in Ekiti, many of the state governors who openly condemned or silently distanced themselves from him have also turned full circle to embrace the same initiative in their own state to curb the terrorism of Fulani herdsmen!

In 2017, Fayose remained the country’s strident voice of opposition. Thank God, a few more Nigerians have gradually found their voice and bearing and Fayose, today, is no longer the lone-ranger in a field strewn with landmines – but he remains the primus inter pares. He is also far ahead of others in boldness, courage, audacity, accuracy and timeliness of sensitive information received and shared with the public and the frequency of his interventions. Last year, Ekiti also defended its first position in NECO examinations, meaning that it won that laurel back-to-back.

In WAEC, too, the state was rumoured to have come first. A visit to Ekiti will convince anyone of the giant strides Fayose has taken with the construction of dual carriageway in local governments all over the state; the New Oja-oba market; the High Court complex, the first since the creation of the state; the new Governor’s Office and, to cap it all, the flyover at the Fajuyi area of the state. I have heard puerile, ignorant, and patently deceptive arguments that the flyover and other Fayose projects are not needed for now and are, therefore, misplaced priorities or a waste of funds.

I invite such people to Lagos where I live and work. At the Agege area where I reside, and in the Alapere, Ketu area where my church is, massive demolition is ongoing just for the government to construct a flyover (at Agege) and widen roads to combat traffic jam at Pen Cinema and environs as well as along Estate – Alapere road.

The financial loss to people, the cost to government in compensations to be paid to those whose properties are demolished; the harrowing experience those of us plying those roads suffer and will continue to suffer until the projects are completed are because government allowed haphazard development to run far ahead of planning. In saner climes, proper layouts are done ahead of physical development and government is proactive and not reactive in that it foresees problems and plans ahead to tackle them.

If that is what Fayose has done in Ekiti, he should be commended as a visionary rather than be pilloried as a spendthrift on the altar of political chicanery.

Finally, the icing on the cake that won the “Man of the Year 2017” for Fayose was his principled opposition to the decision of the Federal Government to hijack one billion USD Escrow crude oil money belonging to the three tiers of government, without legislative approval, ostensibly to fight a Boko Haram insurgency it said at various times it has “degraded” or “defeated.”

The whole country was initially like a grave yard when the announcement was made – and then Fayose spoke! The local governments in his state followed with court action to challenge the FG’s decision.

It was after this that everyone else that matter found their voice and summoned up courage to speak their mind.

It was also then that the Presidency came up with the belated explanation – an after-thought – that the fund was not meant for Boko Haram alone but for the country’s entire security gamut. If Fayose had not spoken, we would not have heard all of that. For this and the other reasons listed above, I hereby declare Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose this column’s “Man of the Year 2017"

cc: lalasticlala

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fayose-man-year-2017/

By Francis Etuko



The Federal Government on Friday commenced a review of the pricing template for Premium Motor Spirit, (Petrol) and noted that the price of the product will remain unchanged.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu said the review became necessary following the various pricing concerns surrounding the actual cost of a litre of petrol.

This development is coming following President Muhammadu Buhari’s and the Federal Executive Council directive to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC not to allow the price of petrol go beyond N145 per litre.

Speaking at the Oil Sector Stakeholders meeting held at the headquarters of the oil ministry in Abuja, Kachikwu maintained that the pump price of petrol was N145 per litre, stressing that the PPPRA was working on reviewing the pricing template for PMS.

Kachikwu who interacted with journalists at the forum however failed to explain how the PPPRA would review the template and keep the cost of petrol at N145 per litre in the present situation where the landing cost of PMS stands at over N170 per litre.

He was however quick to stress that “PPPRA obviously develops the templates and helps monitor importation into the country. The templates have always been the issue because as prices change in the international markets, some of these templates get question mark”.

He also explained to newsmen that aspects of the templates that deals with logistics, profit margins for operators, among others were being reviewed in the pricing template by the PPPRA.

His words “ There are two lines as regards this template; there is the actual cost of landing the product, on the template, and there are other ancillary charges that deals with logistics, profit margins for the operators and all that”

“As part of this committee’s work, we are also reviewing that template to see whether there are things we need to do to help us ensure that we can accommodate sales at the N145 per litre window, so that is also going to be looked into “.

“The PPPRA is working on that and is heading a special committee on it”

The proposal before the PPPRA to review the template and ensure that petrol does not sell for more than N145 per litre has gotten marketers in the country wondering, especially at a time when the landing cost of PMS exceeds the N145 per litre.

An oil marketer who does not want to be mentioned has said they will be keeping a close watch to see how the task before the PPPRA would be achieved, even as marketers are part of the team to help PPPRA achieve the assignment before it.


http://wdn.com.ng/kachikwu-insists-petrol-must-not-sell-aboven145-per-litre/

The Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello has revealed that he borrowed N10 billion to clear-off four months’ salary arrears before the Christmas celebration.

He said the loan was added to the over N1.2 billion that accrued to Kogi state from the Paris Club refund as well as the state’s November and December allocations to achieve the feat.

Yahya Bello disclosed this on Friday when he visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

His words, “ In Kogi state today we are up to date as far as salary is concerned, In December, Mr President magnanimously assisted us with another tranche of the Paris Club Refund”. “Our own figure was N1.2 billion and some other change on top”.

“We did not stop at that we borrowed up to N10 billion and we added November/December allocation to our figures and we were able to clear four months at a stretch before Christmas and some left-over were cleared before this January in Kogi state”

He also stressed thus “As you all know the salary was very bogus and according to the figure we had we were able to distribute it among these months”. “So glory to God as far as Kogi state is concerned”

The Kogi state governor said from January 2018 a clocking method will be introduced, as workers will be paid according to how they come to work.

“Moving forward from this January, We have decided that we are going to make use of our clock-in device for every civil servant in Kogi state, both at local and state levels”

“So as you come to work and clock-in, that is exactly how your salary will be generated, it is online, it is automated so nobody is going to cheat anybody”



http://wdn.com.ng/borrowed-n10bn-offset-four-months-salary-kogi-yahya-bello/

President Buhari was joined on the ride by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasri El-Rufai, and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, as well as some government officials.

The development, however, took a different turn between Governor El-Rufai and the senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce.

Senator Murray-Bruce had claimed on his twitter handle that the project commissioned by the President was part of the achievements recorded by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said: “I hope President @MBuhari remembers to say thank you to former President @GEJonathan for the train ride he enjoyed in Kaduna.

“Some of us haven’t forgotten that that achievement was entirely the handiwork of the Jonathan government. Nigeria should give honour to whom honour is due.”

In a swift reaction, Governor El-Rufai faulted Murray-Bruce’s claims that it was the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that stated the project.

He said: “The Obasanjo administration which Jonathan was not part of, designed, raised the financing and started the EPC of the Lagos-Kano dual track-standard gauge rail system and the Abuja Light Rail. Yar’Adua-Jonathan stalled both projects for two years!”


https://www.channelstv.com/2018/01/05/el-rufai-murray-bruce-trade-words-buharis-train-ride/

He will end up in this manner if he refuse to change his ways

January 5, 2018

Press Statement

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday told the APC Federal Government to perish the thoughts of hiking the per litre price of fuel from the already exorbitant N145 per liter, saying such would not only be criminal but inhuman and completely unacceptable.

The party said investigations have shown that the Federal Government has been lying to Nigerians on oil related issues while using the NNPC to bandy figures with intentions to arrive at APC’s predetermined agenda to increase the price of fuel.

The PDP further stated that the lingering fuel crisis and its attendant black-market costs were only a ploy by the APC to justify their intended hike of petroleum prices.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday said the APC Government has completely become numbed to the sufferings of Nigerians to the extent that it no longer care in imposing more hardship on our people.

The party said instead of putting more burden on the people, the APC Government should come out clear on sleazes in the oil sector under its watch, particularly the shady oil subsidy payouts and illegal lifting of N1.1 trillion worth of crude using unregistered companies.

Recalling that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had in December informed Nigerians that the NNPC has been paying subsidy on fuel, the PDP said the Federal Government has refused to tell Nigerians who the beneficiaries are, the amount involved and who authorized the payment, because of the inherent corruption in the deal.

“Any increase in fuel pump price would be an indirect tax on Nigerians to fund APC interests and considering the pains Nigerians have suffered under this inept and unfeeling Government, this intended hike will be callous.

“It is now clear to all that this APC- controlled government will never act in the interest of Nigerians. All the actions and policies of APC, in their close to three years in office, have been targeted against Nigerians and there are no signals that they will change.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to reject this plot to raise the prices of petroleum products even as they gear towards using the next election to end the misrule of the APC.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary



https://www.facebook.com/officialpdpnig/posts/1491329257582335

Imagine these animals dictating to the gov what the law should look like... What a country! Buhari and his family will pay for all these nonsense someday.

One of the major problems facing this country is the lack of continuity...

A former Akwa Ibom State governor, who is now the Senate Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Godswill Akpabio, has threatened to withdraw his support for the re-election of Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2019.

According to Akpabio, his senatorial district, Akwa Ibom North West, has been marginalised by the present government because the projects there had not been completed while new ones had not been initiated.



Speaking at the annual get-together organised by the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Ekpo, to fete the people of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District at the Independence Hall, Abak on Wednesday, Akpabio urged Emmanuel to brace for the big task.

Akpabio announced that he would only endorse Emmanuel’s re-election if the policies and programmes of the administration were not discriminatory against his senatorial district.

He lamented that some of the projects his (Akpabio) administration started like the multi-million naira Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the dualisation of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, had been abandoned by Emmanuel.

The former governor noted that the completion of the projects would form part of the conditions for Emmanuel’s re-election in 2019.

Akpabio, however, asked the governor to remove the wedge that stifles development in his zone or be prepared to face the consequences of such action in 2019.

He said, “2018 is less than one year to election, all is not well oooh; don’t allow anybody to deceive you that all is well. If the hotel in Ikot Ekpene rots after so much money had been expended, would that be a good thing?

“That road from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene, is still the way it was. In the 2018 budget, what is the percentage sum provided for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District?

“My job is to say the truth because if at this level I cannot say the truth, then I am not doing well. So, please I want us to start the hotel because when the Commissioner for Works addressed the youths in August, he assured them that the hotel would be opened in December, it will soon decay if an urgent intervention is not given to the facility.



“Please, let us check the budget to know what has been earmarked for that place. I am not interested in what I did and what I did not do. I am only interested in what I am going to do.

“The truth is that Godswill Akpabio expects us to set our path straight so that we can take one route, even when you are going for communion, you must be in a state of grace, so let us have something from the senatorial district to use in talking about election; to use in convincing the people to stand by us. We are in opposition, we don’t have government, we don’t have police, we don’t have INEC,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, has warned against playing politics with development projects enunciated by the administration since coming on board in 2015.

Speaking in an interview on Thursday, the commissioner scored the administration high in the areas of physical infrastructure, agriculture, human capital development and free education for children up to the secondary school level.

He craved for more support for the administration, saying that the administration is striving to spread development projects across the three senatorial districts.

“Let us bury our political differences and unite in love for Mr. Udom Emmanuel to build a state we will all be proud of. Akwa Ibom belongs to all of us, the governor is poised at ensuring sustainable development for the state and the people that will outlive this administration,” he said.

Our correspondent, however, learnt that Akpabio during his reign as governor of Akwa Ibom State, concentrated development in his senatorial district (Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District).

He was said to have stated in different fora that the governor that would emerge from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, would also take development to the area.

But a frontline politician and leader of the All Progressives Congress in Esit Eket, Chief Samingo Etukakpan, berated Akpabio for complaining of uncompleted projects in his area.

Etukakpan, said though he is an APC chieftain and would not hold brief for Emmanuel, he did not see Emmanuel cheating Akwa Ibom North West.

He said that the area enjoyed development for eight years during Akpabio’s reign when the economy was booming.

He added, “We, the people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, are the ones that are supposed to complain because if you visit the area, there is nothing to show for it, not even roads. When Akpabio was there, he did nothing, absolutely nothing despite enormous resources from the place.

“Where does he expect the money to come from for the development of his area again? If you go through the 12 local government areas of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, you will discover that we do not have anything.”


http://punchng.com/aibom-gov-marginalising-my-area-akpabio/

In a swift reaction the #BringBackOurGirls a group of campaigners who have been demonstrating for the return f the abducted Chibok Girls alive have come out to clarify that the recovered girl is Salomi Pogu and she is number 15 not 86 on the list of abducted Chibok girls.



The Spokesman of the group Sesugh Akume gave the clarification on Thursday in reaction to an earlier statement announcing the recovered girl by the Nigerian Army Theatre command.



Akume confirmed that the news of the recovery of Salomi is true



“Salomi Pogu is a daughter of Mallam Pogu Yahi from Kaumutahyahi, a village in Kuburmbula ward of Chibok, LGA”



“Both her parents are currently IDP’s in Rumirgo village, in nearby Askira/Uba LGA in Borno state”.



Akume used the occasion to congratulate the military for bringing the number of missing girls with the rescue of Salomi at Pulka, Borno state from 113 to 112.



http://wdn.com.ng/bbog-clarifies-details-recovered-chibok-girl/

Blood suckers!

They says police is your friend but i say police is your no1 enemy

why warning the tyrant Go ahead and harm yourselves to teeth

wise way to begin the year... All glory and honor belong to no one but Almighty God.

In every situation give thanks...

Buhari and his entire family will pay for all these killing!

Buhari and his blood sucking brothers will pay for this very soon!

The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has called on the federal government to stop politicising national security.

The governor said the inability of President Muhamnadu Buhari to personally take charge of the nation’s security and engage “stakeholders” on national security has made some APC leaders to politicise security.

The governor in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo, on Wednesday, accused some APC chieftains of taking advantage of the dysfunctional federal structure to hijack the security architecture to torment innocent citizens for their selfish ends.

The governor said the wind of insecurity blowing across the nation, and particularly the upsurge in herdsmen/farmers are not unconnected to the politicisation of security by the federal government.

The governor warned that the country ceases to have a future if the federal government fails to urgently unite the people of Nigeria to avert the nationwide senseless killings, stressing that the country is more than ever before too divided and unstable under the APC- led federal government!

He called on President Buhari to personally handle security matters as well as engage with state governors to know the specific challenges in the various states.

Governor Dickson also called on the president to call his party leaders especially, those in Bayelsa State to order, saying they should desist from sponsoring insecurity in the sate.

He said some APC leaders in the state were using the name of the president to compromise security by intimidating security agencies, stockpiling arms and ammunition, killing and ransacking communities at will.

Mr. Dickson said he had formally reported the matter to the president and relevant authorities but said instead of bringing the perpetrators to book, the federal government not only shielded the criminals from prosecution but provided them with security.


The Governor said: “These APC leaders exploit the fact that Mr President is not personally involved in the handling of national security to breach national peace and security. They know that he is not in charge of the critical issues of national security because he is not personally handling them the way he should.

“So they take advantage of the President’s attitude and the dysfunctional Nigeria state to intimidate and blackmail security agencies for their selfish interest and in the process, endanger the safety of lives and property of Nigerians. These APC leaders use the name of the President to sponsor criminals to unleash savage violence on innocent citizens.

“Their aim is to cause panic and force them to align with them. A case in point is in Bayelsa State where some APC leaders hide under the protection of the Federal Government to stockpile arms and ammunition to maim and kill innocent citizens just to instill fear in them.

“I have personally reported this to Mr. President and to the best of my knowledge, there has not been any decisive action from him or the Federal Government. Instead of prosecuting these criminals, the Federal Government has beefed up security around them. The politicisation of national security must stop for there can be no country without security!”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/254441-buhari-unable-take-charge-national-security-gov-dickson.html

where is "mass" biko

Say NO to cultism