2027: PDP GOVERNORS TURN AGAINST ATIKU
Dons Eze
- October 21, 2024
PDP CRISIS RESOLVED WITH SUSPENSIONS, COUNTER SUSPENSION QUASHED
PDP CRISIS RESOLVED WITH SUSPENSIONS, COUNTER SUSPENSION QUASHED Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed said on Tuesday that the leadership crisis rocking the party has been resolved with suspensions and counter suspension within the National Working Committee, NWC, quashed. Senator Mohammed, who stated that there is no party that does not have its problems, pointed out that the PDP Governors, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Assembly caucus of the party have waded into leadership crisis within the party and proffered solution to it. The acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Ilya Damagum equally confirmed that there is no more crisis in the party, adding however that, “but some people want to take advantage of the situation”. Bala Mohammed and Damagum said these while fielding questions from journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, Abuja, on their way to Akure, the Ondo State capital for the flag off of the campaign of the PDP governorship candidate, Hon Agboola Ajayi. The leadership crisis rocking the PDP, it will be recalled, took a turn for the worse, few days ago as a faction of the National Working Committee, NWC, suspended the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Ilya Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu for anti party activities. The suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu came few hours after the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Barrister Kamaldeen Ajibade were suspended on Thursday night by another faction of the party. However, Bala Mohammed, on his way to Akure, said, “I want to inform you, on behalf of the PDP Governors Forum, Chairman of the Senate Caucus, and the representatives of the BoT (Board of Trustees) that we had a family meeting, and we wish to reaffirm that there is no faction in the PDP. “All the suspensions you heard about have been resolved by the Governors, the NWC, the Caucus of the National Assembly, and the BoT. There is no faction. “Everything has reverted to the status quo under acting Chairman Damagum, pending the time the governors and other organs of the party will sit down and resolve all the issues. “There is no party that does not have problems. Some of them are legal, and we do not want to preempt the outcome of legal procedures. “So whatever speculations and perceptions have gone out are wrong. Both parties (the two factions in dispute) have agreed that, in the interest of the party and Nigeria, we should return to the status quo before the suspension and counter-suspension. “These suspensions have been lifted; there are no more suspensions. That is the resolution of the PDP Governors’ Forum. “To members of the party, they should remember that it is the PDP we have, and it is the most experienced party that has produced government and good governance since 1999. “We should make sacrifices and come together. Yes, we may have ill feelings here and there”, he said. On his part, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Damagum said, “There is no crisis in the party as far as I am concerned, but some people want to take advantage of the situation. “I urge the press not to escalate things, even where there is no crisis. As far as I am concerned, the governors are our leaders and critical organs of this party, and when they speak, we must look at it holistically and also abide by it.”, he said.
SOLUDO REJECTS LG AUTONOMY, SAYS IT WILL LEAD TO CHAOS, SIGNS BILL TO DEDUCT COUNCIL FUNDS
SOLUDO REJECTS LG AUTONOMY, SAYS IT WILL LEAD TO CHAOS, SIGNS BILL TO DEDUCT COUNCIL FUNDS Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said that granting full autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas could lead to “humongous chaos” and hinder sustainable development. Governor Soludo made this statement on Tuesday at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, Awka, after signing the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, titled “Anambra Local Government Administration Law 2024.” The law was passed by the State House of Assembly last Thursday. Soludo argued that absolute autonomy for local government areas is impossible and would create chaos due to the attendant challenges. He said that Section 7 of the constitution empowers state governments to enact laws for local government administration, highlighting the importance of state oversight. “The absolute autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country is an impossibility,” Soludo said. “In fact, it is a recipe for humongous chaos. The attendant challenges before the issue of local government autonomy are such that would certainly deepen the fate of the system and spell doom for the expected beneficiaries of the process if not well planned.” Soludo explained that the new laws are consequential to the Supreme Court judgment and not intended to undermine it. “The new laws by Anambra House of Assembly are therefore consequential to give operational life to the Supreme Court judgment and not to undermine it,” Soludo stated. “If the State House of Assembly abdicates this constitutional duty, the Local Government will then have no law on the use and management of its finance.” POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the bill requires local government areas (LGAs) to remit a portion of their federal allocations into a consolidated account controlled by the state. Section 13(1) of the bill stipulates that the state shall maintain a “State Joint Local Government Account” into which all federal allocations to LGAs must be deposited. Section 14(3) of it mandates that each LGA must remit a state-determined percentage to the consolidated account within two working days of receiving their allocations. Meanwhile, Section 14(4) outlines that if the state receives the LGA’s allocation on their behalf, it must deduct the specified percentage before disbursing the remaining funds to the LGA.
WHY WE INVADED RADIO STATION TO ARREST SUSPECT – EFCC
WHY WE INVADED RADIO STATION TO ARREST SUSPECT – EFCC The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained that a radio presenter with Urban Radio, Favour Ekoh, was arrested over her involvement in a ponzi scheme where she lured unsuspecting victims into parting away with over N700 million with the promise of offering them 10% of their investment on a monthly basis, saying the ponzi scheme had since closed with no track of other members of the criminal syndicate. In a press statement on Tuesday, the EFCC denied allegations of wrongdoing in effecting the arrest of the “prime suspect” who was planning to be at large before luck ran out of her, insisting that the operatives provided sufficient identification and warrant of arrest but were obstructed from carrying out their lawful duties by some lawless individuals who ostensibly shut them inside the building. Describing Favour Ekoh as a principal suspect in the fraudulent activity, the statement noted that the company, Life Trading, was used by the suspect and her cohorts now at large to swindle over 50 victims to close to one billion naira. If further denied interrupting Urban Radio’s live programme, nor taking away any of its devices, describing such one-sided narrative as a false attempt to mislead innocent members of the public. Read the statement in full: EFCC PRESS STATEMENT EFCC’s Arrest at Urban Radio Enugu: Facts of the Matter On Monday, October 14, 2024 a team of operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, comprising four officers were at Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu to invite one Favour Ekoh, host of Prime Time, a programme running at the Station. Ekoh is being investigated by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC in an alleged N700 million Ponzi scheme fraud involving about fifty (50) victims. According to the victims, Ekoh allegedly lured them into investing in a scheme “Life Trading” in a company, Leverage Index Limited, where they were offered returns on investment of 10 percent of their capitals after a period of time. The victims alleged that after investing their money into the company located at No. 1 Colliery Street, Okpara Avenue, Enugu State, the company closed its office with no return on investment or principal returned to the victims. Ekoh allegedly invited the victims into the business and she remained the only link the victims could hold. At the Radio Station, operatives of the Commission, holding a warrant of arrest for Ekoh, identified themselves as officers of the EFCC. They informed the Managing Director of the Station, Bamikole Owoyomi, about their mission. However, in a rather strange twist, a staff of the Station called the Chairman of the Radio Station who ordered that the gate of the building be locked in and out, thereby holding the officers hostage. Faced with such hostility, they called for a rescue team which eventually arrested Omoyomi, Ekoh and the two security guards that locked them within the premises of the Station. Ekoh had to be trailed to the Station for an arrest because the nature of the fraudulent dealings necessitated a sting operation that would foreclose her escape or going underground. She was neither arrested while on air nor any disruption of the lawful activities of the Radio Station took place. No equipment of the Station was tampered with and she has since been released after being allowed to make a Statement at the Enugu office. Owoyomi and the two security guards were arrested for obstruction of justice as they initially prevented the operatives from carrying out their official duty. They also made statements to that effect and had since been released. The EFCC holds the media in high esteem both as the fourth estate of…
NUJ CONDEMNS EFCC INVASION OF RADIO STATION
NUJ CONDEMNS EFCC INVASION OF RADIO STATION The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for invading a radio station in Enugu State. The EFCC on Monday evening raided Urban 94.5FM, disrupting a live broadcast to whisk away a broadcaster, Favour Ekoh in the process. The staff members of the station were allegedly forced to sit on the floor during the invasion and some of their broadcasting equipment was tampered with. Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the chairman of NUJ, Enugu Council, Comrade Sam Udekwe, said the action of the Commission is condemnable, saying this is not a military era. Udekwe described the act as unprofessional no matter the seriousness of the investigation being carried out. “It is only in times of military seizure of power that we experience such an act of forceful disruption of broadcast transmission of this kind. No matter what offence, it’s the individual that may have committed it as alleged and should be gone after in a due process and not extending it to public facilities like radio on air,” he said. While calling for a thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain whether it was truly carried out by men on official duty, the NUJ Chairman asked the EFCC to apologise to the station and general public for the embarrassment and unethical act. According to him, it has become a recurring decimal for men in uniform to mete out different degrees of intimidation to media workers without proper redress at the end of the day and called for a stop to official neglect.
ENUGU GOVT TO LAUGH N20B STATE SECURITY TRUST FUND
ENUGU GOVT TO LAUNCH N20B STATE SECURITY TRUST FUND The Enugu State Government has finalised plans to launch the State Security Trust Fund (ESSTF) as part of Governor Peter Mbah’s proactive measures to enhance security in the state. Holding at the state capital, Enugu, on Thursday, October 17, 2024, the primary objective of the ESSTF is to provide support to security agencies operating in the state by equipping them with the necessary crime-fighting accessories and resources.Inaugurated in February 2024, Governor Mbah appointed experienced and diverse Enugu State indigenes to the Board of Trustees of the Fund, and it is chaired by Dr. Ike Chioke, the Group Managing Director of Afrinvest (West Africa), with Engr. Chinedu Ani, a distinguished telecommunications professional, as the Executive Secretary. “The Security Trust Fund is in line with what we have expressed in our manifesto when we were seeking the mandate of our people to serve them,” Governor Mbah said, adding; “We promised them that Enugu will be one of the top three states in terms of GDP and, of course, we said it is going to happen from private sector investment, and attracting private sector investment requires that you have the enabling environment. “To secure Enugu State by combating security issues such as kidnapping, armed robbery, herders/farmers conflicts, cultism, thuggery and cybercrime, Dr. Chioke said the Fund would enable the creation of a central security coordination point, which will help strengthen the state’s security infrastructure and combat insecurity across the state. “ESSTF is a public-private partnership established in response to the need to improve the security of Enugu State while fostering development and prosperity for its residents,” he said. With the vision to secure Enugu State, ESSTF’s will achieve that through strategic funding, collaborative partnerships and innovative security solutions. To implement this, ESSTF will be committed to effective stakeholder engagement, responsible management of funds, fostering communal service through stewardship, working transparently, being open, ensuring reliability and striving for excellence at all times.
GRID COLLAPSE, A NATIONAL SHAME, TESTAMENT OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE – PETER OBI
GRID COLLAPSE, A NATIONAL SHAME, TESTAMENT OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE – PETER OBI For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, plunging a huge part of the nation into darkness and exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure. This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels. How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society? This latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that have consistently failed to prioritize the welfare and economic well-being of the people. We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable. Today, we are the fourth largest economy in Africa, having fallen from the number one position due to leadership failure over the years, including the persistent power crisis, which is critical when compared to smaller economies. South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30% of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity. Secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts. Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of our population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity. Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the 3 countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure. This disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continue to hold back our growth and potential. It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritizes measurable indices of development. A new Nigeria is POssible. PO.Peter Obi
PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS DECLARE PRO-FUBARA LAWMAKERS’ SEATS VACANT
PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS DECLARE PRO-FUBARA LAWMAKERS’ SEATS VACANT The Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly has declared the seats of Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and three other pro-Fubara lawmakers vacant in the wake of their absence from sittings for 152 days. While aaking the declaration on Tuesday during plenary, Amaewhule explained that Ehie did not properly write to inform the House of his new office, and as such his seat has been declared vacant. Regarding Victor Oko-Jumbo and the two others, the House held three separate votes to declare their seats vacant for absenteeism from sitting for 152 days consecutively without notification or permission, in violation of the 1999 Constitution. The House further agreed to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct elections to replace the now vacant seats within 90 days to provide representation for their people. Also, the Assembly agreed to give Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriations Bill following the Appeal Court’s nullification of the N800 billion budget which he had presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie.
- Foreign Affairs
- October 15, 2024
- 98 views
FG SUMMONS BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER OVER SUNDAY IGBOHO’S YORUBA NATION PETITION TO PRIME MINISTER
FG SUMMONS BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER OVER SUNDAY IGBOHO’S YORUBA NATION PETITION TO PRIME MINISTER The Federal Government has addressed concerns surrounding Sunday Igboho’s petition to the UK Prime Minister, submitted at 10 Downing Street. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it invited the British High Commissioner in Abuja to clarify the issue, according to a statement by Amb. Eche Abu-Obe, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, the High Commissioner acknowledged the alarm generated by the petition but described press reports as misleading. He confirmed that he is aware of the delivery of the letter, explaining that it aligns with the established practice of submitting petitions and letters to No. 10. However, the High Commissioner added that the UK government and the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee did not endorse the petition. He reiterated the UK government’s policy of non-interference in the sovereign affairs of other nations and cited past rejections of similar petitions by the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee and the UK Government. Sunday Igboho, a prominent advocate for the Yoruba Nation, had submitted the petition to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on October 12, urging consideration of the Yoruba Nation’s bid for self-determination.
AFCON QUALIFIER: CAF DELISTS NIGERIA, LIBYA
AFCON QUALIFIER: CAF DELISTS NIGERIA, LIBYA The Confederation of African Football has delisted the Group D second-leg fixture of the ongoing 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. The game was earlier scheduled to take place in Libya by 8 pm after the first leg took place in Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday. The Super Eagles beat the Mediterranean Knights by a lone goal in the dying minute of the game. However, the return leg has been greeted with controversy after the Super Eagles players and officials narrated their over 14 hours ordeal at the Libya airport leading them to return home. Meanwhile, CAF said it had launched an investigation into the incident after the Libya Football Federation alleged sabotage and threatened legal action against Nigeria. The African football body further updated games that would be played on Tuesday without including the Libya versus Nigeria game on its X handle.
EFCC INVADES RADIO STATION IN ENUGU, ARRESTS PRESENTER
EFCC INVADES RADIO STATION IN ENUGU, ARRESTS PRESENTER Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have raided Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu, arresting a presenter during live programme. In a statement on Tuesday, the station apologised to its listeners over disruption of the programme. It said the invasion occurred at 6:45pm on Monday when the ‘Prime Time’ programme was ongoing. Urban Radio said operatives abducted presenters and seized communication equipment without disclosing reasons for their actions. “The Board and Management of Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu regrets the abrupt halting and disruption of our programme on Monday evening.” “Armed men identifying as the EFCC had barged into the studio and interrupted the live program ‘Prime – Time’, forcefully abducted our presenters and took away our communication equipment for reasons they vehemently refused to disclose.” “Whilst we are following up with the matter, we will continue to inform our dear listeners accordingly through this medium. Once again, we apologize for the unethical break-in into our live studio and disruption of your favourite programmes and hope that the matter will be resolves as soon as possible and for whatever the reasons.” However, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokespesman, has defended the anti-graft agency’s action, saying the agency was at the station to arrest Favour Ekoh, a presenter, over alleged involvement in a ponzi scheme in which 103 Nigerians were defrauded. The EFCC spokesperson said only Ekoh was arrested and that operatives did not take away communication equipment. He said operatives of the agency tracked the presenter to the station after she shunned several invitations.