Author: The Nation

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta North Senatorial District, over the weekend, resolved to deliver votes from the region to all candidates of the party in the region, including presidential and governorship.

The party leaders, at the meeting convened by a chieftain, Dr Ngozi Olejeme, also assured the APC’s hold on the grassroots of Delta North will guarantee bloc votes for both the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

To give impetus to the objective goals enunciated by this leadership assembly, the meeting unanimously agreed and announced a Leadership Council, to be Chaired by Dr. Olejeme, while former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, was appointed Chairman of Elections Management Committee.

Ochei, during the meeting, reeled out strategic insights towards winning the forthcoming 2023 general elections and what needs to be done.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the leadership meeting, Delta Deputy Governorship candidate, Friday Osanebi, disclosed that winning the votes in the senatorial district for the APC dominated discussions at the meeting, adding that the massive youth population of the region will be secured for the party at the elections.

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“As you can see, we are here for Delta North strategic meeting and by the grace of God, the leaders of Delta Nort have come out enmass to support one of their own to be the deputy governor. You can see what the meeting is trying to throw up, most of the discussions we had are just private issues on how to win and deliver Delta North for APC; all the general elections; from the presidency, down to the House of Assembly.

“So, the meeting, so far, so good, we’re doing very well and whatever plan we had is just an in-house, and I can assure you that victory is ours in Delta North. Like we all know, politics is local. I’m from the grassroots and I can assure you that victory is ours.

“What we’re doing is like more of our own secret, but I can assure you that the youths of Delta State are very proud that APC has picked one of their own comrades to represent the interest of the youths of Delta State, not just Delta State, but the youths of Nigeria are proud of this selection. So, our major target are the youths of Delta State, to bring mass votes to APC,” he said.

From left, Convener/Host of Delta North APC Leadership Forum, Dr Ngozi Olejeme; Austin Izagbor; Dr Iyke Odikpo; former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Ochei; deputy governorship candidate of the APC in Delta, Hon Friday Osanebi; and Chairman, APC in Delta North, Chief Adizua Eluaka, at the meeting of APC Leaders and Stakeholders of Delta North Senatorial District, held in Abuja, on Sunday.
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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration will do the right things for them if elected.

The former Lagos Governor, in a series of tweets, added that his government would be an answer to the call for greater responsibilities, which must not be missed.

“We are not here to do what is comfortable. We are here to do what is right for our people and our country. We are here to answer to a greater, higher calling. That calling is the love of Nigeria.

“We dare not miss this chance because we cannot be sure of another,” Tinubu stated.

He also congratulated the new President of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA).

Read Also:2023: Aregbesola’s ex-deputy, 36 state groups strategise for Tinubu, Shetima

He said: “I wish the new NBA administration the very best in all its future endeavours and pray, earnestly, that under their stewardship, the ideal of the legal profession as the last best hope of the common man remains true and alive in our nation.

“I congratulate Y. C. Maikyau on his emergence as the 31st President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the new executive leadership of the NBA following the term expiration of the administration of Olumide Akpata.

“Their character and reputation have led to this moment of triumph and the absolute trust of their learned peers.”

Read Also: 2023: Aregbesola’s ex-deputy, 36 state groups strategise for Tinubu, Shetima

State universities cannot be coerced to implement an agreement reached between the Federal Government and lecturers in Federal Universities under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), the Committee of Pro-chancellors of state universities said on Monday.

The pro-chancellors also made a case for the democratisation of memberships of unions in universities.

In a statement by its Secretary, Marcus Awobifa on Monday, the Prof – chancellors called for devolution of powers on the issues of labour, wages and salaries with freedom of the employers to negotiate with their employees, as it is practiced in other parts of the world, where we borrowed the university system.

They took exception to the comments made by the President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke who allegedly called some state universities who have pulled out of the ongoing strike quacks.

In a communique, the pro-chancellors said: “The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities read with alarm and disbelieve a statement made by the President of the ASUU Prof. Emmanuel Osodike on a television programme on Arise, where he said that State Universities are “irrelevant and quacks” on 26th August, 2022.

“Our first reaction was to ignore this tendentious, ill conceived and flagrant unconscionable statement by the President of ASUU, but on reflection, it was thought necessary to do a rejoinder to this rather unfortunate statement having regard to the position of the President of ASUU in the scheme of things in our University system in Nigeria.

“Though, COPSUN will not want to go into any diatribe with the President of ASUU, the Committee wishes to state as follows to put records straight:

“That the Pro-Chancellors of our State Universities and indeed members

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of the Councils are distinguished and accomplished eminent persons who had served and still serving this Nation in many capacities. Amongst the members are retired Ambassadors, retired Generals in the Armed forces, retired Vice-Chancellors, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, renowned politicians and other distinguished professionals.

“COPSUN wishes to appeal to the President of ASUU to realise that the membership of ASUU is voluntary. Therefore, it is not his ill-informed approach and denigration of state universities that will lead to fashioning out creative approaches to avoid existential extinction that will solve the myriad of problems confronting the University system in Nigeria.”

Some state universities have come under fire over their failure to pull out of the ongoing strike declared by the national body of ASUU.

The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong had said the agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU won’t be binding on state universities.

However, Prof Osodeke alongside some state university ASUU chairmen had kicked against the development saying that “ASUU is one.”

The pro-chancellors notef that “very unfortunate ill digested view of the President of ASUU has vindicated the position of this Committee on the following issues; The negative professionalisation of offices of the Unions that operate in our Universities and the unserious believe among many members of the Unions that the Unions are superior to the Councils of the Universities that are their employers.”

The communique added: “The need for immediate democratisation of the membership of Unions in the universities to the extent of the freedom of any individual to belong to a Union with options of not belonging.

“Devolution of powers on the issues of labour, wages and salaries with freedom of the employers to negotiate with their employees, as it is practiced in other parts of the world, where we borrowed the University system.

“State Universities cannot be forced or coerced to implement agreements reached between the Federal Government and her workers in the Universities to which they are not parties.

“It is time to respect the Federal nature of our government in all matters and not selectively, especially on the issues of salaries and wages.”

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National Assembly candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general election in Rivers State have protested against the refusal of Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt to recuse himself from a case seeking their disqualifications.

The candidates reinforced their collective decision that the judge should not handle the matter filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The candidates were not happy that the judge refused to record their complaints when the matter was mentioned in court on Monday.

When the matter was mentioned in court, the lawyer to PDP, Den Nweigwe, SAN, told the court about issues surrounding the service of processes.

But the candidate of APC for Ikwerre-Emohua Federal Constituency, Ezemonye Ezekiel, who appeared for himself, reminded the judge of their petitions against him.

The judge, without taking a record of his complaints, adjourned the matter to September 20th for a hearing.

The angry candidates stormed out of the court lamenting that the judge had justified their earlier fears that there was a plot to destroy their political destinies.

The APC candidate for Rivers West, Asita Honourable, appealed to the judge to respect their stance and withdraw from their matter.

Asita said: “If he hears the matter and decides in our favour, the ordinary impression will be that because we petitioned and he is trying to favour us. If he rules against us it will justify our suspicion. We are appealing to him to leave our case.

“There are many judges in the federal high court. We say we don’t have confidence in you. We are not saying you should give us judgement.

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“We say we don’t trust you. What is so difficult in a judge withdrawing from a matter. Was he employed because of our case? We are begging him to remove his hands from our case”.

In his remarks, Ezikiel, who is also a lawyer, said the decision of the judge to adjourn the matter for hearing without exhausting issues contained in their petition was distasteful.

He said: “I brought to the attention of his lordship my pending petition supported by the other defendants asking him to recuse himself but he refused to entertain it at all. Instead, he adjourned the matter for hearing. It is distasteful to me as a litigant and as a lawyer.

“From day one, we have been saying that he is on a mission to destroy our political career. Everyday this matter comes up in court, those discerning minds we see the signs of what we have been saying since.

“When a judge has a petition before him to recuse himself, that petition must be attended to first. It is just like the issue of jurisdiction. If I don’t have confidence in a court to hear my matter, there is nothing that the court should do other than recuse himself and send back the file for reassignment”.
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The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta not to allow the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, to be a source of internal conflict that will cause destabilisation and insecurity in the region.

President, INC, the apex umbrella organisation for all Ijaws, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, gave the advice during an interface with some concerned Ijaw youth groups on the trending oil pipeline surveillance contract at Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Okaba said the people of the Niger Delta, particularly those from the Ijaw extraction, must love themselves and not allow the contract, which he described as “crumbs” to tear the region apart.

He said it was unfortunate and ridiculous that Ijaw brothers were threatening to kill themselves over crumbs (not even by way of ownership of oil wells) given to them to help the “State siphon away our God-given wealth.”

Okaba stated: “Recently, the INC has been buffeted with reports of brewing tensions among various Ijaw youth groups as a result of the pipeline surveillance contract. We frown at such divisive tendencies and propensities.

 Read Also: Group hails Buhari over pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo

“It must not be said that the token was targeted at creating an arena of infighting among Ijaw and Niger Delta people and distracting them from focusing on our well-articulated goals and objectives.

“There are oppressive and suppressive national issues that are confronting us a people. For instance, the National Water Resources Bill designed to subjugate us further, which requires our collective resolve and determination ‘as to defeat this monstrous agenda’ in collaboration with other concerned ethnic groups that share contiguous peculiarities with us.
“We must take cognizance of this fact and other dangers to our existential realities as Ijaw people in a convoluted Nigerian polity.

“Our people have already suffered enough invasions and harassments by federal troops over the years on account of our oil and gas wealth. As you all know, our people are mainly farmers and fishermen and women who depend on our rivers, swamps and creeks for survival.

“In furtherance of the cardinal objectives of the INC, I enjoin you to constitute yourself into a committee charged with the responsibility of interfacing with the different Ijaw groups with a view to harmonising their individual interest and to ensure that in the process the Ijaw unity and agenda are not compromised.”