FUBARA TO PROBE WIKE’S EIGHT YEARS AS GOVERNOR
FUBARA TO PROBE WIKE’S EIGHT YEARS AS GOVERNOR Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has announced a plan by his administration to set up a panel of inquiry into the governance of the state. Governor Fubara stated this on Monday after swearing in Dagogo Iboroma as the Attorney General of the state shortly after the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was screened and confirmed by the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led House of Assembly. He emphatically stated that the state is in a critical situation where it has become obvious that the political crisis cannot be resolved. The Governor accused his opponents of deliberately sabotaging his administration while he was hoping that the issue in the state would be resolved amicably. He vowed to make tough decisions moving forward no matter how hurtful they would seem. Governor Fubara also responded to comments by former Attorney General Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), and his counterpart in the Ministry of Works Alabo George-Kelly. He accused the former Attorney General of sabotaging his administration by filing nolle prosequi against the interest of the state. On the comment by George-Kelly, Governor Fubara maintained he would have been promoted beyond Level 14 in the civil servants before his retirement.He said he was already on Level 13 as a Chief Account Officer before 2023. According to him, even if it was a mistake, by the special grace of God he is here as a Governor.
PETER OBI MEETS WITH ATIKU, LAMIDO, SARAKI, DISCUSSES “STATE OF THE NATION”
PETER OBI MEETS WITH ATIKU, SARAKI, LAMIDO, DISCUSSES “STATE OF THE NATION” The campaign team of Labour Party (LP) Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has opened up on the reason for his visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in Abuja. The former Anambra governor was in a closed door meeting with three chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday. This is the first meeting of the former Anambra governor with his former political allies after he defected from the PDP to LP in May 2022. Speaking on the reason for the visit, the Chief Spokesman of Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko explained that the politicians met behind closed doors to discuss how to rescue the ‘soul of Nigeria’ from the clutch of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said, “I am not privy to their meetings. But what you are seeing are some of the long discussions we have had a long time ago. It is part of the discussions and efforts to battle for the soul of Nigeria. “It is not a surprising thing for Obi to meet some of his political allies to discuss the situation of the country. That is the few I can say for now.” An official statement released by Obi’s media team titled ‘State of the Nation and Plight of the Poor: Obi visits Atiku, Saraki and Lamido’ corroborated Tanko’s earlier sentiment that Obi is determined to engage virtually all his political allies on the need to wrest power from the ruling APC. The statement read, “The 2023 Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has continued to live up to his expressed commitment to the peace and progress of the nation. His abiding devotion is to the emergence of a Nigeria that works for all its people and where the people are quickly pulled out of poverty. “Worried about the state of the nation and the increasing uncertainty in the living conditions of the poor and underprivileged, Obi in Abuja on Monday visited some top Nigerians, among whom are Former Vice President, and PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, the Former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki and the Former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido.“At the centre of discussion during each of these visits was the state of the nation and how to reduce the suffering of all Nigerians irrespective of class and location. In particular, the desperate condition of the downtrodden in our midst was highlighted. Of particular interest and emphasis in these discussions was the worrisome situation in the Northern parts of the country.”
FALANA FAULTS RIVERS GOVERNOR’S DIRECTIVE ON STATE LEGISLATURE
FALANA FAULTS RIVERS GOVERNOR’S DIRECTIVE ON STATE LEGISLATURE A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticized the Rivers State Governor, Simi Fubara, for directing members of the state House of Assembly to convene at the Government House for plenary. Falana, who featured in Channel Television’s Sunday Politics, emphasized that the legislature was independent of the executive arm of government. He argued that the governor’s directive was an overreach as the Assembly has the autonomy to determine its own sitting venue. He noted that the independence of the legislative and executive arms of government is enshrined in the constitution, and Fubara’s action undermines this principle. The rights activist suggested that the governor may have issued the directive before the Rivers State High Court intervened, but insisted that the legislature’s independence remains unassailable. He said: “The House is independent of the executive. So the governor cannot tell the house where to sit.” Fubara had on Friday issued an executive order for the immediate and temporary relocation of the sitting of the Assembly to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt. In an official Gazette, Executive Order of the Rivers State Government 001-2023, Fubara cited the unsafe state of the Assembly complex. This development raises concerns about the balance of power in Rivers State and the potential for executive overreach. Falana’s intervention highlights the importance of upholding the constitutional separation of powers and ensuring that each arm of government respects the autonomy of the others.As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the Assembly will respond to the governor’s directive and assert its independence.
TINUBU WARNS FUBARA, WIKE: END POLITICAL CRISIS IN RIVERS
TINUBU WARNS FUBARA, WIKE: END POLITICAL CRISIS IN RIVERS President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern warning that he won’t tolerate the escalating feud between Rivers Governor Fubara and his predecessor Wike threatening to destabilize the state, vowing to end the conflict if they don’t resolve it democratically. The President asserted his neutrality in the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, clarifying that he will not favor either Governor Siminalayi Fubara or his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the FCT Minister. Despite Tinubu’s efforts to broker peace, the feud persists, with a recent court order aggravating tensions. Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, emphasized that Tinubu will not take sides, urging all stakeholders to cooperate for the benefit of Rivers’ citizens. The conflict stems from Wike’s influence in Fubara’s appointment, followed by a swift fallout, leading to a series of disputes and legal battles. Despite a previous peace accord facilitated by Tinubu, hostilities resumed shortly after, signaling the complexity and intensity of the rift. The recent court injunction restraining lawmakers aligned with Wike from participating in state assembly affairs further escalated tensions. Ngelale reiterated the President’s commitment to ensuring that the Rivers State government operates smoothly for the welfare of its people.He underscored Tinubu’s stance against any attempts to hinder the government’s functioning, emphasizing the need for all stakeholders to recognize the President’s impartiality and work towards constructive resolutions.
Dons Eze
- Foreign Affairs
- May 12, 2024
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WHY BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION SHUNNED PRINCE HARRY, WIFE’S VISIT TO NIGERIA
WHY BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION SHUNNED PRINCE HARRY, WIFE VISIT TO NIGERIA The British High Commission in Nigeria has failed to acknowledge the presence of Prince Harry. Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in the most populous black nation on earth, on Friday, and there have been different activities to welcome them. The couple was received by military authorities on Friday afternoon in the nation’s seat of power. He, alongside his wife, visited the Defence Headquarters in Abuja as part of their tour of Nigeria. They also proceeded to Kaduna State, where they met with Governor Uba Sani, who gifted the prince a traditional attire. However, as against their tradition of welcoming top dignitaries from the United Kingdom, the social media handles of the commission has been silent on the activities of the Prince in Nigeria. Checks by Daily Trust showed that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, was silent on the visit on social media, while the UK in Nigeria X handle didn’t also acknowledge their presence. In an interview with NAN, Montgomery said: “It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters. “But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.” While in Kaduna, Harry identified sports as a useful way for the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers in Nigeria. The prince said the focus of his visit was to meet with the wounded and sick men and women who served in the Nigerian armed forces. “The focus of this trip is the wounded and sick men and women who served in the Nigerian forces to keep the people safe, and having founded the Invictus game over 10 years ago, Nigeria was the first African nation to join in Germany with 10 fantastic human beings.” “When you talk about lifting the spirits, that is what we are here to do, and we will build on that morale and ensure that anyone hooked on the line of fire, despite being injured, is not alone, and sport can be a useful way for rehabilitation,” he had said. Harry and Meghan met in 2016 and married in 2018. They stepped down as senior royals in January 2020. Angry about media intrusion, they were frustrated that Buckingham Palace stopped them developing their “SussexRoyal” brand. The couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness (HRH). Harry also gave up his military titles. When Harry’s father Charles became King, the couple’s two children became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Prince Harry allegedly missed the flight that carried Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward up to Scotland where they raced in vain to see Queen Elizabeth II one last time before she passed away. While nobody made it to her bedside in time, except for King Charles III and Princess Anne, William and his uncles were a lot closer to making it than Harry was.Harry was allegedly so persistent about bringing his wife, Meghan Markle, with him to Balmoral where the Queen was dying, that an argument ensued, causing him to miss the flight that carried his brother and uncles.
40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT
40 NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS MAY LOSE SEATS OVER CONCURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF NASS, ECOWAS PARLIAMENT Over 40 Nigerian lawmakers are likely to vacate their seats for concurrent membership of the National Assembly and ECOWAS Parliament as well as the Pan-African Parliament, if a suit filed against them succeeds. The suit was filed by the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, a non governmental organisation that seeks to promote transparency and accountability in governance through public interest litigations, advocacy, policy engagements. The body had earlier called on the President of the Senate to declare the seats of the affected lawmakers vacant for belonging to multiple parliament’s at the same time and collecting emoluments from all. Having failed to comply with the call, the body served a pre-action notice on the Senate President and copied the Clerk of the National Assembly, indicating its readiness to seek judicial redress if the call was not heeded. The body, in the letter dated April 8, signed by its Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, warned that in the event that the Senate President fails to comply with its request within seven working days from the date of the letter, it shall commence a lawsuit to seek the interpretation of a court of law. In the alternative, the body offered to draft two bills for domestication of both the international instruments establishing both the ECOWAS Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament. The group insisted that the practice of serving both bodies violates Section 68(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 18, Supplementary Act of the ECOWAS Parliament, 2017, which prohibits a serving member of a parliament serving with it and collecting emoluments. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, ALDRAP asks the court to determine whether having regard to Section 68 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), any member of the National Assembly who wishes to take a seat at the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament, ought to first resign from the National Assembly. “In the alternative: whether having regard to Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), the provisions of the ECOWAS Parliament legislation, which allocates 35 seats to Nigeria, has not yet become legally operative within Nigeria considering that both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly have not subjected the said parliament to the legislative procedure prescribed under Section 12.” The prayed the court to make a “Declaration that the 5th defendant (Clerk of the National Assembly) shall immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th Assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament”. It also prayed for an order directing the Clerk of the National Assembly immediately discontinue the payment of salaries and all forms of remuneration to all the 40 lawmakers who were recently inaugurated as either members of the 6th assembly of the ECOWAS Parliament and/or the Pan-African Parliament.The group, in the same vein, asks the court to order the 6th defendant (INEC) to immediately conduct bye-elections within 30 days from the date of the vacancy to fill all 40 vacant seats at the National Assembly.
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS
WIKE TO FUBARA: COURT INJUNCTIONS OBTAINED BY MIDNIGHT CAN’T REMOVE RIVERS LAWMAKERS FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that court injunctions obtained by midnight cannot be used to unseat any member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Wike spoke on Saturday at the grand civic reception held at Ogu-Bolo in honour of Chief George Thompson Sekibo to celebrate his 20 years of service at the National and 36 years of his life in public service. “If they like they can go to anybody by 2am or 4am to get injunction. The law will take its course. We must follow due process,” Wike said. Turning to the suspended assembly members, Wike said: “Don’t be afraid, nobody will remove you as a lawmaker. Most of you don’t understand. This is our work. Our business is to make them to fear. That is what I am doing. We will make them to be angry ever everyday and they will continue to make mistakes.” Wike declared that backing Governor Siminalayi Fubara was a mistake he would correct at the appropriate time. “I want to say this clearly, in life we have made a mistake. I have made a mistake. I own it up and I say God forgive me. I have said all of you forgive me. But we will correct it at the appropriate time. I am a human, I am bound to make a mistake. So forgive me for making a wrong judgement. So nobody should kill. “As you see me I stand straight. I think well. I came with senator Magnus Abe. I work with people that have brains. On politics, when people with brains agree they disagree. Those, who don’t know what to do but said they would bring me down, who born them? They are nowhere. When you are in charge, you are in charge. “Everything will calm down. All these people running around, they would come down. Boma worked for his appointment, he showed loyalty and commitment and that is why God placed him there. Don’t worry. “Let me also advised you, forget about how they abuse us. You must be alive for people to abuse you. If you are dead, will they abuse you? At the appropriate time when the results will be announced, we will know who is who. We have defeated them severally.“Some.of them ran to Abuja but when I went to Abuja, they ran back here. Have you not seen the way Abuja is moving? No amount of propaganda can help you. Ogu people have shown loyalty and I want to thank you”.
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU OON
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, BY AMBASSADOR HABIB BABA HABU, OON Dear Mr. President, Having traveled extensively across Nigeria with you during the 2023 campaigns and being a devoted member of the Renewed Hope Family, I remain steadfast in my belief that you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaba of Borgu, possess the determination, capability, and skill to lead Nigeria towards progress. The Nigerian populace did not err in electing you as President. Throughout the campaigns, you emphasized the imperative of revitalizing the Nigerian economy and steering it towards growth and development. You were candid in acknowledging that the necessary reforms would initially entail considerable pain for Nigerians. Presently, we are all experiencing the repercussions of these reforms. It is important to acknowledge that the dynamism displayed by ABAT in Lagos has been tempered by the frailty of ageing. Nonetheless, your mental acumen, sagacity and capability endure. This presents challenges in conducting physical inspections of projects, necessitating a reliance on trusted aides. However, this reliance, on trusted officials, also poses a vulnerability to potential sabotage within your administration. I implore you not to place unwavering trust in any individual to the extent that their words supersede your own, even if inadvertently. Vigilance and continuous oversight are essential. Drawing from my experience as the Presidential Liaison Officer to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who passed away 14 years ago, I witnessed firsthand how his illness rendered him susceptible to exploitation by ministers and personal staff. Some of them exploited this trust, exacerbating crises that ultimately led to the Doctrine of Necessity. Although this is a topic for another occasion, it is worth noting, Olusegun Adeniyi, in his characteristic humility didn’t explicitly name such individuals. I have been working on a paper dealing exclusively with “The Powers of the Unelected Personal Staff of a President – from General Abatcha to PMB”. My second and concluding pointer is to, respectfully, draw Your Excellency’s attention to the fundamental economic principle that no government can tax its citizens into near poverty and expect sustainable growth and development.May Allah grant you good health and the capability to achieve your objectives of making Nigeria Great. Your success remains as one of my daily prayers
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN
THEY ABANDONED NOVEL IDEAS I INTRODUCED AFTER I LEFT POWER – JONATHAN Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said some of his ideas were jettisoned after his exit from office. Jonathan, who was President from 2010 to 2015, said this during the Founder’s Day Colloquium to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, on Friday. The colloquium, with the theme, “Re-Imagining Tertiary Education for Africa’s Present and Future Reality”, was held at the university’s main auditorium. While recalling that women were admitted into the Nigeria Defence Academy, Jonathan said he faced serious challenges but had his way as the president of the country. “I recall the challenges faced by women in the military. But as President, I directed that the Nigeria Defence Academy commence admission of women into the institution. “However some of the ideas, which could have helped in the technological development of the country were jettisoned,” he said. The ex-President also called for the recalibration of the nation’s educational system to focus more on technology and innovation. While describing the focus on acquiring only certificates as damaging to the economy, he stressed that the attitude should be discouraged by emphasizing knowledge and skills acquisition to produce graduates that would pilot the economy. He said: “I want to congratulate the founder of this university and say that because of the success of the university, successive governments gave licences to other private universities to operate. “There is always resistance when one starts something new, but with your commitment and dedication, your efforts in the last 25 years are commendable. “All founders of private universities in Nigeria need to celebrate you for opening the door for them.” He thanked God for using the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsami Abubakar, to bring democracy to the country. Also speaking, Abubakar, who was instrumental in the establishment of the university, said Igbinedion University had immensely contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria in almost every sector. He congratulated the Chancellor and Founder of the university, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, for the foresight to pursue a private university license 25 years ago. Deputy Pro-Chancellor of the university, Lucky Igbinedion, who spoke on behalf of the Pro-Chancellor, and Founder of the university said 25 years after, the effort of establishing the institution had paid off with the springing up of more private universities in the country. The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, disclosed that students of the institution were exposed to entrepreneurial and skills acquisition modules.“At 25, it is significant to note that the brilliant exploits of our Blue-sky graduates in their various fields of endeavour across the globe evidenced the quality of our products,” he added.
WAR IN RIVERS: GOV FUBARA RELOCATES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO GOVT HOUSE AS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS SEND URGENT MESSAGE TO TINUBU
WAR IN RIVERS: GOV FUBARA RELOCATES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO GOVT HOUSE AS PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS SEND URGENT MESSAGE TO TINUBU Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has gazetted Executive Order 001, relocating the State House of Assembly to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt. The Governor explained that the decision was taken because the current House of Assembly complex is unfit for use after it was burnt on October 29th, 2023, during the political crisis which rocked the state. Fubara stated that the House of Assembly, in its present state, constitutes a threat to the lives of users and needs to be shut down for urgent repairs, renovation and reconstruction to take place. The gazette is dated December 14th, 2023. The Governor observed that the move to the government house was to ensure that the proceedings of the House of Assembly were not impeded and frustrated. He said: “Now, therefore, I, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, this 30th Day of October, 2023, pursuant to the powers vested in me under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hereby issue, order and direct that all proceedings and business of the Rivers State House of Assembly shall temporarily take place at the auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt, until the repairs, renovation and reconstruction of the chambers of Rivers State House of Assembly.” In another development, the Assembly members loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, have called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt what they perceive as anti-democratic actions by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. During their plenary session at the House of Assembly quarters along Aba Road, the lawmakers expressed grave concerns over what they labeled as Fubara’s autocratic governance style. The Speaker, Amaewhule and his colleagues implored President Tinubu to wade in and call Governor Fubara to order. In a statement released by Amaewhule’s Media Aide, Martin Wachukwu, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, accused Fubara of allegedly planning to demolish the recently constructed Assembly Quarters. Members highlighted a series of what they termed as tyrannical acts by the Governor, including the burning of the Assembly’s Hallowed Chamber, demolition of the Assembly Complex, attack on the Speaker’s official residence, and the withholding of funds from Local Government Councils and the Assembly Service Commission. They condemned such actions as despotic and urged the people of Rivers State and the President to intervene. Amaewhule specifically criticized Governor Fubara’s intrusion into the Assembly, describing it as provocative and indicative of a dictatorial attitude. He questioned whether the Governor respected the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. Amaewhule urged members to defend democracy and reject any attempts to sow ethnic division. The Assembly resolved to communicate their grievances to the British High Commission, the American Embassy, the European Union, and the United Nations, informing them of Fubara’s alleged authoritarian conduct towards the Rivers State House of Assembly.Meanwhile, a court in Rivers State later on Friday declared the seats of Amaewhule and 24 of his colleagues vacant over their defection from PDP where they were elected to APC. The court said that their seats remain vacant pending the determination of the suit filed against them.