Category: SouthEast

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has denied ceding the state’s ministerial slot to former governor Nyesom Wike.

Spokesperson Darlington Nwauju described the claim as ‘the most fantastically audacious of lie’.

Former Chief of Staff and leader of the Amalgamated Bola Tinubu Campaign Council, Chief Tony Okocha, had claimed that the party conceded the slot to Wike.

Read Also : Rivers APC: we didn’t concede ministerial slot to Wike

But Nwauju said Okocha lacked the authority to speak for the party as he is not a legitimate member.

He said: “The party has never interacted with the Amalgamated Bola Tinubu Campaign Council as we have more than 100 NGOs and support groups who worked for the APC in Rivers State.

“For clarity, no NGO or individual outside the officially recognised party structure has the authority to award any entitlements to the former governor, who is obviously a card carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We wonder where the group or individual derived its powers to speak for APC from.

“Tony Okocha is not a member of our party, and we have not received any communication from the National Secretariat that he has been granted waivers to join our party.

“So, we want to officially dispel that sponsored rumour targeted to package the political ambition of former Governor Wike. We reject this obvious public ridicule and assault on our sensibilities as a party.”

Nwauju added that even if the insinuations that Wike secretly sponsored President Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign were true, it wasn’t enough reason for him to be considered for a ministerial slot in the state.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed September 22 for judgment in a suit by Mrs Ogbomade Johnson, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the November 11 Bayelsa State governorship election, against Timipre Sylva, over his emergence as the party’s candidate.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after Johnson’s lawyer, Reuben Egwuaba, including APC and Sylva’s counsel, Bem Atetan and Ogwu Onoja, (SAN), adopted their processes.

At the resumed hearing, Egwuaba told the court that he filed a written address in response to the preliminary objection served on them by Sylva, but discovered a mistake in the application.

“We filed a written address and we discovered the pages exceeded the number stipulated under the rule. So we brought a motion to seek an order to deem it properly filed,” he said.

Read Also : Court to deliver judgment in APC aspirant’s suit against Sylva Sept 22

The lawyer said instead of filing a 15-page application, the pages of the written address was 19.

“Show me where the statutory instrument you relied upon that I can grant you that relief,” the judge said.

After Egwuaba read Paragraph 4 of the Pre-election Practice Direction, 2022, Justice Ekwo held that his application was not within the provision of the law.

The judge, who directed parties to adopt their processes, adjourned the matter until September 22 for judgment.

Mrs. Johnson, in the suit, prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist the names of APC and Sylva from the list of political parties and candidates for the November election.

She also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Sylva from parading himself as the APC governorship candidate in Bayelsa, among others.

• Governor wins NDLEA award

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has implored politicians not to destroy the future of youths through drug abuse, epsecially during election seasons.

The governor spoke yesterday at a symposium organised by the Bayelsa State Drug Abuse Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to mark the 2023 World Drug Day.

Diri said his administration’s commitment to eradicating drug abuse was to produce responsible youths that would take over leadership. He added that the focus on education, skill acquisition, empowerment of small and medium scale businesses, and other capacity enhancement programmes for youths, was to occupy their minds with gainful ventures and divert their attention from criminal activities.

Governor Diri enjoined all to contribute to efforts toward attaining a drug-free society. He thanked the Dr. Faith Zibs-Godwin-led committee, and others, for their efforts towards eliminating drug abuse. Diri also thanked the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its Country Representative, Dr. Oliver Stolpe, for their efforts in fighting the scourge.

Read Also :Bayelsa, Rivers inseparable, says Diri

According to him, reports by the NDLEA and other security agencies showed a downward trend in drug abuse in the state.

“Today, all the accolades we receive are because we have put a round peg in a round hole in the Bayelsa State agency against drug abuse. Members of this committee work as a team and the team work has produced a good result,” Diri said.

The NDLEA also decorated Governor Diri as its Frontline Ambassador in drug abuse prevention.

Director of Operations, Samuel Gadzama, presented the award on behalf of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd).

Governor Diri dedicated the award to Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, members of the State Executive Council, the drug abuse prevention community, supporters of the fight against drug abuse, and the youths.

• Governor inaugurates state JAAC

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has inaugurated the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC), saying that local government funds must be used to lift the people out of poverty.

The 16-member Committee is chaired by Comrade Anthony Udeh. Others are Peter Aneke (Secretary); Tony Okenwa, Okechukwu Edeh, among others.

Mbah described the local government as the layer of government closest to the people, and admonished the committee members to ensure the income is boosted through the State Joint Local Government Account.

He said: “Local government account for us is a very important account, and we must ensure the people who will manage the allocation, monitoring, and distribution of this account are credible people. This is because the local government is the closest to the people.

“Ours is to lift our people out of poverty, and we do not believe there is a better-positioned arm to do that than the local government. Therefore, local government funds must not only work for the wellbeing of our people, but must be seen to be doing so.

“This is why your management, monitoring and distribution of the local government account are critical; and we have selected you as people who are credible enough to discharge these duties”. 

Udeh, who thanked Mbah for the gesture, pledged the committee’s readiness to discharge its functions in tandem with the vision and principles of transparency and accountability espoused by the administration.

A governorship aspirant in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Gideon Obhakhan, has appealed to the people to allow Edo Central produce the governor in 2024 for justice, fairness and equity.

Obhakhan, who visited the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) office in Edo State, said it was to intimate the council of his plan to contest the 2024 governorship election.

He noted that at the end of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in 2024, Edo South and North would have governed for 25 years, leaving out Edo Central.

Read Also : Edo Police misconduct: IGP disbands Technical Team

He said: “By 2024, it would be 25 years of governance in this state without Edo Central. Governors, deputies, secretaries to the state government, chief of staff, have always come from either Edo South or North.

“So, for fairness and equity, we are lobbying and reaching out to other districts to support Esan to produce the next governor after Gov. Obaseki.”

Gideon promised to focus on youth and women empowerment, agriculture, road infrastructure, among others, if given the opportunity.

The Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal, which was relocated to Abuja, has resumed sitting with the hearing of a petition by Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the resumed sitting yesterday, Cole expressed satisfaction that the Tribunal has finally begun sitting.

Some of the petitions received were from Cole and Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Beatrice Itubo. They are challenging the victory of candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Siminalayi Fubara.

The APC and LP had secured ex-parte orders from the court to obtain the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the election results, and to inspect materials used in the elections. But Cole claimed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was frustrating their efforts.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has denied ceding the state’s ministerial slot to former governor Nyesom Wike.

Spokesperson Darlington Nwauju described the claim as ‘the most fantastically audacious of lie’.

Former Chief of Staff and leader of the Amalgamated Bola Tinubu Campaign Council, Chief Tony Okocha, had claimed that the party conceded the slot to Wike.

But Nwauju said Okocha lacked the authority to speak for the party as he is not a legitimate member.

He said: “The party has never interacted with the Amalgamated Bola Tinubu Campaign Council as we have more than 100 NGOs and support groups who worked for the APC in Rivers State.

“For clarity, no NGO or individual outside the officially recognised party structure has the authority to award any entitlements to the former governor, who is obviously a card carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We wonder where the group or individual derived its powers to speak for APC from.

“Tony Okocha is not a member of our party, and we have not received any communication from the National Secretariat that he has been granted waivers to join our party.

“So, we want to officially dispel that sponsored rumour targeted to package the political ambition of former Governor Wike. We reject this obvious public ridicule and assault on our sensibilities as a party.”

Nwauju added that even if the insinuations that Wike secretly sponsored President Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign were true, it wasn’t enough reason for him to be considered for a ministerial slot in the state.

• Ogbuku: I won’t disappoint Niger Delta

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and other stakeholders have hailed President Bola Tinubu for retaining Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) despite dissolving the commission’s board.

PANDEF President Emmanuel Essien, who led 27 leaders of ethnic nationalities, said the Ijaw National Leader, Pa Edwin Clark, sent them to visit Ogbuku and to appreciate Tinubu for retaining him.

Those in the delegation were President, Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba; Elder T.K Ogoriba; President-General, Isoko Ethnic Nationality, Prof. Chris Akpotu; President, Southsouth Leaders Forum (SSLF), Chief Sarah Igbe,; President-General, Oron National Forum (ONAF), Ita Ante; President, Niger Delta Movement for Sustainable Change (NDMSC), among others.

Essien, who described Tinubu’s gesture as a wise decision, urged Ogbuku to justify the trust by not letting the Niger Delta down. He recalled that the establishment of the NDDC did not come on a platter of gold, but as a direct response to series of vehement outcries and blood of the people of the region.

He added: “Therefore, it is very dear to the heart of our people because its destiny is inextricably tied to the fortunes of the people to a very large extent. So, anything that affects the commission negatively or positively creates similar effects on the people.

“We would like to submit that the action of Mr. President in retaining the management committee was done in the best interest of the region and in substantial compliance with the law.”

Ogbuku told the leaders the reforms his management had done out in the commission, saying it was no longer business as usual.

According to him, the commission had been reorganised to prioritise workers’ welfare, stop proliferation of directorates by returning NDDC to its original 13 directorates.

He added that while the management waited for the budget to be passes, it undertook internal cleansing and reorganisation required to reposition the commission on the path of growth and progress.

He said: “We came without a budget and chased the passage of the budget for months. But it was recently passed. We have cleansed the house, the budget had been passed and we are getting ready to hit the ground running.”

Ogbuku said his team was ready to partner the Niger Delta leaders, and to ensure the stakeholders are active participants in the programmes and projects of the commission.