Author: The Nation

A crack has emerged among stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State over the crisis rocking the opposition party.

Former Governor Senator Jonah Jang heads the pro-Wike group while former Secretary to Plateau State Government Prof Shedrach Best heads the pro-Atiku group over the protracted crisis between the duo.

Jang has called on PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu to resign and relinquish the position to the South for truth and fairness ahead of the 2023 poll .

But Best, in a statement, berated Jang for calling for the resignation of Ayu.

He said: “The call by Senator Jang was his personal opinion and not that of the party stakeholders.”

In another briefing in Jos, Jang insisted his call was to ensure truth and justice as the basic principles on which the party was founded.

Media consultant to Jang, Garuba Clinton, who spoke with reporters on his behalf, said: ‘My attention has been drawn to a publication purportedly issued by a certain unknown group dubbed Plateau for Atiku group and signed by its Protem Secretary, Prof. Shedrack Best.

“The group in the said publication alleged that Plateau PDP stakeholders disowned Sen (Dr) Jonah David Jang for asking the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign.

“Perhaps it is important to school the said group, which has arrogated to itself the noble position of stakeholders, which it indeed is not, of the dynamics of the politics of the PDP to which they are latter-day entrants. They may have been carried away by blind followership to know that Sen. Jang and the other founding fathers of the PDP built it on the principles of justice, equity and fairness and it is these principles that held the party to where it is today.

“Subverting the constitution of the party long-held tradition of inclusiveness is a sure way to derail the party from getting back to its winning ways. Senator Jang and the real stakeholders in the party are not surprised that such a publication is authored by Prof. Shedrack Best who is still aggrieved and sulking over his loss in the recently held primaries of the PDP in Plateau State.

“He needs to let go of the bitterness against Jang as he is not responsible for his loss, as the stakeholders agreed then that, the delegates voted for aspirants and only one winner could emerge.

“It is true that Senator Jang and other prominent members of the party have been with Governor Nyesom Wike in the fight to entrench truth, equity and the need to give all members a sense of belonging and they have also made it clear that it is for the purpose of moving the party forward and leading it to victory at the polls.

“Those who have followed Jang closely will attest to the consistent history of Jang as it relates to truth and fairness , such that as a sitting Governor, he once challenged a sitting President of Nigeria who was also a member of same political party ( PDP) in court.

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“Prof. Best of all people should know that in pursuit of truth , Jang is always prepared to tow the lonely path. Several calls have been made to the party to salvage the situation and resolve the issues arising from the outcome of the presidential primaries but it seems all call fell on deaf ears.

“Instead of reinforcing the call on the leadership of the party to do the right thing, it is unfortunate that the so-called unknown stakeholders are seeking for relevance by using the name of Senator Jang as a launching path. They could go ahead with supporting former Vice President Atiku Abubaker without dragging Senator Jang into their journey to infamy.

“They should make no mistake either, about the fact that, Senator Jonah Jang does not have anything personal against His Excellency , Atiku Abubakar as those in this journey of infamy will recall that in 2019 , mobilized his personal resources in support of Atiku despite the fact funds made available for the campaigns was in an attempt to ridicule Jang sent to the wrong persons .

“Former Governor Jang has decided to go with the group that believes in the truth and is not surprised that this group of “stakeholders” is not in agreement with the path he has chosen. He did not envisage that everyone will agree with him but he is working based on his conviction that the truth must be told in the interest of the party.”

Full list of APC Presidential Campaign Council

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Gunmen terrorising the Emuoha/Kalabari road in Rivers State have kidnapped five passengers in a commercial bus.

The incident occurred a few days after hoodlums killed a bus driver and abducted eight passengers along the same road.

It was gathered that the gunmen ambushed the vehicle on a bad spot around 8pm on Saturday, shot into the air and stopped the vehicle.

They were said to have immediately taken the driver and seven passengers into a nearby bush.

READ ALSO:Two policemen ‘killed’ in clash with gunmen

Rivers police spokesperson Grace Iringe-koko said the Command was yet to get a clearer picture of the incident.

Iringe-koko further said the Commissioner of Police had already called a meeting of stakeholders in the area to get to the root of the matter.

She said: “The CP has called stakeholders, including the local government chairmen and the anti-cultism. He has deployed anti-kidnapping and other tactical unit to comb the area”.
END.

Two persons were confirmed dead on Sunday in the collapse of a four storey building on Saturday at 3 Iman street in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Three other victims are lying in critical condition at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), it was learnt.

The State Government vowed it will to set up enquiry panel into the building collapse.

It threatened to apply the full weight of the law if the outcome of investigation indicated that the incident was due to negligence or wrongdoing.

Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo, who led other government functionaries including Commissioner of Police Olatoye Durusinmi, to the scene of collapsed building, sympathised with those who lost loved ones in the sad incident.

Speaking while fielding questions from newsmen on Sunday, Ekpo, said the State government would set up
an enquiry to find why and how it happened, adding that any one found guilty would be sanctioned.

He said: “I came here first and foremost to sympathise with the familes of those who lost their love ones and since I came this is the question i have been asking, where are the relations?

“We must also investigate why and how it happened, to ascertain the personalities that are involved, It’s is after the enquiry that the state government would know what to do, but like I said earlier, whoever violate the building regulations, the law must take it course” he said.

The zonal Coordinator of the
National Emergency Management Agency, South South, Godwin Tepikor, who confirmed the casualty figure while speaking with journalists called for enhanced enforcement of building codes in the country.

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He said ” I was informed about this incident about 7pm yesterday ( Saturday) and I quickly mobilised relevant stakeholders namely; the federal road safety corps, the Civic Defense, the fire service and the Red Cross. And I advised that they should contact any construction company to mobilize their excavator because what we needed was to rescue people alive.

“So, that commenced yesterday ( Saturday) up till now and that is what is still going on. So, we have recovered one dead body here and the other died in the hospital because of multiple injuries.

On what should be done to curb incessant building collapse, he said ” I think that we should enhance enforcement, because it is possible that the property got approval and it is possible that the terms of the approval were not followed. Substantial material may have been used, so if there was enforcement of building codes we would have been able to stem the tide of building collapse.”

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an order restraining parties in a suit about the Ikoyi Cancer Treatment Centre at No.16, Alexander Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, from demolishing or tampering with the building pending the determination of all the cases pending in court over the land.

The Applicant’s counsel Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, said in a statement that Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the order following his application.

He said Justice Osiagor also granted an order transferring the case to the High Court of Lagos State, for it to be consolidated with the other pending cases on the subject matter.

The statement reads in part: “The Applicant, Kings County Property Development Company and its directors, Alhaji Hameed Kasumu and Mr. Abdul-Jamaal Kasumu had approached the Federal High Court in Lagos on August 8, 2022, with an application for an order of injunction to restrain the Inspector-General of Police, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command and Mr Muhammadu Wada, from arresting or detaining the directors and also from taking any steps that may jeopardise or compromise the buildings housing the Cancer Treatment Center.

“The Applicants also filed a subsequent application, to restrain the 4th Respondent in the suit, Mr. Muhammadu Wada, from demolishing, destroying or taking over the property.

“The Ikoyi Cancer Treatment Center was conceived by the company and its directors, as a multipurpose project to address the many issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of the much-dreaded disease, which has assumed an epidemic proportion in Nigeria.

“The project is presently 90 per cent completed but for the action of officers of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning, who purported to seal up the premises, on July 17, 2019, driving away workers engaged to finish the project.

“A Certificate of Occupancy was validly issued by the Lagos State Government for the land hosting the project and all requisite approvals were duly sought and obtained for the building.

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“The project is meant to provide affordable health services and facilities to all Nigerians for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer-related diseases.

“Being dissatisfied with the action of the Lagos State Government, the company filed a case before the High Court of Lagos State whereupon the Honourable Justice Lateefat Okunu granted an order in August 2019 restraining Lagos State Government from taking any steps to alter the status of the property.

“That case is presently at trial stage.

“However, some unknown persons stormed the property with the aim of demolishing it without following due process of law, prompting the company to report their nefarious activities to the police authorities, which eventually led to the filing of the case before the Federal High Court.”

The Oyo Traditional Council also known as Oyomesi has said all the 65 aspirants for the stool of the Alaafin will be presented before Ifa oracle for consultation.

This was contrary to its previous announcement that ten aspirants have been shortlisted out of the over 65 contestants who appeared for screening last Thursday.

The Council also denied any form of rift among its members but confirmed there was “little disagreement” on the ten shortlisted names.

When contacted, the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Mr Bode Durojaiye confirmed the development to The Nation on Sunday.

Speaking on the new development, the Acting Regent who doubles as the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Ayoola Layinka, said the decision became imperative following a minor disagreement among the Council members.

He said whoever emerges among the 65 aspirants will be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

The Regent said: “Following minor disagreement among some members of the Oyo Traditional Council (the Oyo Mesi) over shortlisting of some aspirants who qualified for the interview, there will no longer be any shortlisted contestants.

“All contestants who appeared for the interview are qualified for the next level, which is Ifa consultation, after the meeting of members of the Oyo Mesi.

“Whoever emerges among the aspirants will be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

“There is no rift among members of the Oyo Mesi contrary to insinuations and misinformation milling around. We are as United as ever.

“Misunderstanding can happen at any given point in time. It is natural. What is important is the amicable resolution, in order not to let the misunderstanding degenerate into violence.

“None of the Oyo Mesi members has a favoured aspirant, as all the contestants are equal before us. For the umpteenth time, we are conscientious, thorough, not money conscious and greedy”.

Signs of crack in the council surfaced at the weekend when the Iba Saamu of Oyo, High Chief Lamidi Olayanju and three other chiefs distanced themselves from the 10 persons shortlisted for the vacant stool, saying he knew nothing about it.

He said he confirmed the news on the ten shortlisted aspirants from the Bashorun but that the decision was not jointly taken by the Council members.

Read Also: Alaafin stool: Oyomesi shortlists 10 aspirants

“I called Basorun and he told me that he was the one behind the news that 10 persons had been shortlisted. Four of us know nothing about it. When we completed the interview on Thursday, we all agreed that we would meet next Tuesday to do that but hearing that 10 persons had been shortlisted on the radio is news to me. I called Basorun and he told me he authored the news.

“I heard it on the radio that we had shortlisted 10 but I am telling you I am not part of that and I called four of us and they said they did not know anything about it. Agbaakin (High Chief Asinmiyu) told me he was not part of the decision to pick 10 contestants; Akinniku (High Chief Amusa Yusuf) also told me that he was not part of it; Alapini (High Chief Rasheed Sheu) is indisposed.”

Asked if the rest of the kingmakers would abide by the shortlisted contestants, he said: “Can you, yourself, abide by such a decision? We don’t know anything about it, we didn’t know when he picked them, so, we can’t abide by such.

“If we agree with him and the remaining contestants drag all of us to court, how are we going to defend what we were not part of?”