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Tag: Abuja

  • 2019: APC gives conditions for consensus candidature

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says that consensus will apply only when no other aspirant signifies interest through purchase of its Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the position in question ahead of its primaries.

    Mr Yekini Nabena, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, made the clarification in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said the clarification became necessary following the announcement of consensus candidates for elective positions for the 2019 general elections in some of the party’s state chapters.

    “The attention of the APC has been drawn to announcements of consensus candidates for elective positions in some states, it is therefore, pertinent to make some clarifications to enlighten party faithful on the procedure for nominating candidates.

    “While consensus is provided for by the party’s constitution, the option is conditional.

    “Consensus does not foreclose Direct or Indirect Primaries for all elective positions as contained in the resolution of the 6th Meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

    “Again, consensus will apply when no other aspirant signify interest through purchase of nomination forms for the position in question,” Nabena said in a statement.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC national secretariat has, however, remained a beehive of activities since Sept. 5 when it began the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to aspirants for 2019 general elections.

    This is, especially so as politicians and their supporters from across states of the federation rush to the secretariat to pick the party’s forms and to beat the deadline for its sale.

    Traders have also taken advantage of the large turnout of party members and supporters at the secretariat, located at Blantyre Street in Wuse Two, to do brisk business.

    Read Also: 2019: Plan for consensus candidate unsettles PDP

    While some traders take the opportunity to display various souvenirs, others were seen selling the party’s constitution to members.

    Commercial photographers also struggled to get the attention of party members who may want to take photographs for posterity.

    The two hotels located on the street, Valencia and Barcelona had continued to record high patronage.

    Driving through the street has, however, become a herculean task due to heavy human and vehicular traffic as security operatives attached to the party were seen making frantic effort to ensure orderliness.

  • PDP Primaries: Ensure fairness in Oshimili North, Group urges Okowa

    Oshimili North Arise, a political pressure group, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide level-playing ground for aspirants in its nationwide House of Assembly primary election on Saturday.

    It particularly called on Delta Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to ensure that fairness prevailed in the exercise in the state, especially in Oshimili North constituency.

    The group made the call in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by its National Chairman, Dr Ndu Ojejeh and National Secretary, Mr Carl Enumah.

    It reminded the governor of decades-long political domination of major parts of Oshimili North Local Government Area by only one community, Ibusa, which had continued to alienate other communities in the area, politically.

    The group revealed that in the forthcoming primary election, the community’s political leaders, in collaboration with the local government chairman, had deployed blackmail and intimidation tools against Mr Frank Esenwah, the only aspirant not from the community.

    According to the group, Ibusa’s `political community’ headed by Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, wants the community to continue to occupy the constituency’s seat in the House of Assembly as it has been since 1999.

    It said that since 1991 when Delta was created, Ibusa had occupied all political offices at all levels, available to the entire local government area, oppressing and marginalizing other communities.

    The group, therefore, urged Ibusa political leaders and the local government chairman to eschew blackmail and threats to delegates for the primary election “and allow them freedom to vote fairly”.

    “Let there be a free and fair primary so that any contestant who emerges from it will be seen as the people’s choice.

    “The clandestine movements to ensure than Ibusa occupies the local government’s seat in the assembly in 2019, and for their lackey in the local government’s council to pick the slot in 2023, should stop.

    “It is unacceptable and will be resisted. Let the democratic process of selecting a candidate fairly at the polls run its course in Oshimili North – enough of impunity, blackmail and intimidation.”

    The group reminded the public that “all commissionership slots for the area had always been taken by Ibusa since the creation of Delta, save for the current holder. The same applies for chairmanship of the local government.

    “Between 1999 and 2007, Dr Felicia Nwaeze, from Ibusa, was in the House of Assembly, and from then to date, Mrs Pat Ajudua, wife of Fred Ajudua, also from Ibusa, has been in the saddle.

    “Currently, Mr Peter Nwaoboshi, also from Ibusa, who was commissioner in the two terms of James Ibori as governor, and later became PDP Chairman in the state, is the Senator representing Delta North District at the Senate.

    “In spite of these cases of marginalization and brazen insensitivity, Ibusa is currently pushing with every might, for Ajudua or another person from the community to be in the Assembly in 2019.

    “Ibusa is only one community out of others, including Okpanam, Illah, Ebu, Akwukwu-Igbo (Headquarters), Ukala-Okpuno, Atuma, Aninwalo and Ukala-Okwute, in the local government area.”

    Recalling its earlier statement on the issue, the group said, “We are saying that for equity and justice, the House of Assembly position should go to any of the other communities in the area in 2019.”

    Read also: Shekarau to PDP: ‘You lack internal democracy’

    “Besides, the current position of Nwaoboshi as senator suffices as huge political gain for Ibusa people as it dwarfs the positions of commissioner, house of assembly member and local government chairman, put together.

    “Rather than be the arrowhead for perpetuating political disequilibrium and disharmony in the area, Nwaoboshi should show gratitude, magnanimity and transparent leadership by letting other positions go outside Ibusa in 2019.

    “The senator should not hold the grudge against Esenwah over allegation that he did not get enough votes in Illah community in 2015.

    “This is particularly so when the senator is pushing hard to return to the Red Chamber and everybody in the local government area has endorsed it and is in the vanguard for actualizing it.”

    The group added that Nwaoboshi, like the governor, should show good political leadership laced with tolerance, justice, accommodation, selflessness and inclusiveness.

  • Residents panic as fresh tremor rocks Abuja

    Various parts of Abuja, the nation’s capital city, were seized by earth tremor yesterday, spreading panic among the residents.

    Yesterday’s incident followed similar ones of less magnitude in parts of the city on Wednesday and Thursday.

    At Mpape, highbrow Maitama and other parts of the city, well-heeled citizens flung their gates open as they sped out of their luxury homes.

    “We were really terrified when the earth shook violently. Those of us upstairs ran downstairs only to see those downstairs running upstairs,” said a politician who was at the Maitama home of a senator when the tremor occurred yesterday morning.

    The politician, who pleaded anonymity, said that many home owners around Colorado Street in Maitama sped off to avoid further experience with tremors.

    In Wuse area, Mrs. Florence Yesufu, who said that she and her children had fled from their Mpape home on Thursday night, told one of our correspondents that she and members of her brother’s family who were their hosts had to launch into intense prayer yesterday on learning from an acquaintance on the telephone about the tremor in Maitama.

    But government agencies and notable individuals, including Senate President Bukola Saraki moved in swiftly yesterday to douse tension among the city’s residents.

    “We have all been feeling the earth tremors in Abuja and surrounding areas over the last 48 hours. I know that many people are scared, but please, remain calm and vigilant,” Saraki said in a tweet on his Twitter handle, @bukolasaraki, as citizens recalled the shock they felt.

    The Director General, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Alex Nwegbu, said the tremor which began on Wednesday was between 3 and 3.5 magnitude on the Modified Mercalli scale, hence it was of low intensity as there were no visible cracks on walls and on the ground.

    He urged members of the public to report any further incidents through NGSA’s emergency numbers 08035956056, 08032154825 and 08037000623.

    Allaying the fears of residents, Nwegbu added that Nigeria will henceforth be able to detect and warn of future quakes because the government had just purchased six earthquake monitoring machines which he said would be distributed to the different geo-political zones in the country.

    Addressing the issue at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Nwegbu advised Nigerians to leave their houses when such quakes occur because the structure of such buildings could be compromised.

    He said: “Earthquakes are ground movement responding to accumulation of stress, and when the stress becomes higher than the strength of the rock, it ruptures and the presence of rupturing sends waves along the earth crust. That is what results in the vibration which we call earth tremor or earthquake.

    “When we got the report of the tremor in Mpape, we dispatched geologists and geophysicists on a fact-finding mission.

    “The intensity of the tremor is estimated to be between 3 and 3.5 on the Modified Mercalli scale. There were no cracks on the walls or ground, which technically means it was an earth tremor of low intensity.

    “We have conducted airborne magnetic survey of the whole country, and using it, we can establish zones of fractures and weaknesses.

    “Based on the location of Mpape and its environs vis a vis the zones of weakness, you can understand the area has the predisposition of such tremors.

    “But because we experienced the tremor in Mpape does not mean it originated in Mpape; it might have been triggered elsewhere.

    “The present administration has done so much in assisting the agency in collecting geoscience data.

    “We recently acquired six sets of earthquake monitoring equipment. We are presently in the process of deploying them within next month to different zones of the country in Abuja, Kaduna, Yola, Ibadan, Calabar and Awka.

    “When this equipment are deployed, it will give us quick information of where tremor might probably occur to warn people beforehand.”

    Nwegbu said there was absolutely no cause for alarm, adding that Nigeria is not situated at the plate boundary, hence the tendency to have violent earthquakes is very minimal.

    “It is advised that once you start noticing a tremor, you move out of your house, because you can never underestimate how the structure of your house can be compromised. It could collapse.

    “Presently we are collecting more data and this will help us in determining the true cause,” he said.

    Earlier, the FCT Emergency Management Agency had issued a statement calling for calm and outlining steps that citizens should take when such incidents occur.

    “We have been inundated with distress calls in our watch room as a result of earth shaking happening around Mpape and part of Maitama district of the Federal Capital Territory,” the statement said.

    “Whilst appreciating the call from the public, the FCT emergency management agency (FEMA) wish to make the following statements:

    “That the possible cause of the earth shaking might be as a result of earth tremor.

    “That it is a sign of seismic movement within the earth. This is caused by sudden break along a fault line which results in sudden release of energy that makes the ground to shake.

    “It is caused by stress in underground rocks and may be due to rock blasting and mining activities in an area.

    “The residents are to note that there is nothing to panic about as there is no likelihood of any earthquake disaster in Nigeria as we are not in earthquake zone.

    “Therefore, we are urging all residents to calm down and rest assured that the abnormal situation will soon stop.

    The agency further gave out safety tips to be observed during such occurrences to avoid a disaster.

    “Calm and do not panic. If you stay in a building, locate a safe room, drop down and take cover under desk or table and hold tight to it. You should stay away from windows and objects that may fall.

    “If you are outdoor, find a clean spot away from buildings, trees and power lines.

    “If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clean place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.”

     

  • Abuja tremor: No cause for alarm – DG NGSA

    The Director General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Alex Nwegbu, on Friday assured residents of Abuja that there is no cause for alarm as regards the earth tremors that hit some parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

    At a press briefing on Friday, Nwegbu noted that “Nigeria is not on the boundary that can make us suffer an earthquake”.

    In the last three days, there have been reports of earth shaking by some residents in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    In the early hours of Friday, some residents have taken to Twitter to share their experiences about the development.

    Nwegbu however said: “I will like to assure Nigerians that there is no cause for alarm. Nigeria is not on the boundary that can make us suffer an earthquake.

    “Hence, we might just get low level earth tremors. For those at Mpape, as long as you’re not at risk from a building or home collapse, they are safe to return to their houses.

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    “When we got reports on the 5th, we dispersed our Geoscientists to ascertain the cause. We checked for the intensity using certain parameters used in checking these things. We noticed no cracks on building walls & on the grounds, implying it’s an earth tremor of low intensity.

    “Our people are still in the field so we are still getting more information to know the origin of the earth tremor and where it was triggered from.

    “The Buhari administration has been helpful in enabling us to generate our Geoscience data. We are set to deploy our equipment in the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria. This will enable us to get firsthand info on when the tremors are set to occur in order to warn residents around.”

  • PDP’s BoT bars members from campaigning for aspirants

    …Seeks reduction in number of presidential aspirants

    The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned its members against identifying or campaigning for any of the 13 presidential aspirants of the party.

    The body is also seeking means of reducing the large number of aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election.

    Rising from a marathon meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the BoT expressed concerns that some of its members have been going behind the scene to campaign for some of the presidential aspirants.

    Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, the chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, reminded members of their role as conscience of the party, saying the body might be forced to take disciplinary actions against errant members.

    Jibrin said, “If you are a member of BoT, you remain the conscience of the party and you should not be moving about with any aspirant.

    “If we are really the conscience of the party, we should not move about with aspirants. That was what happened during the last national convention when we elected the national chairman.

    “Some of us went and pitched camps with aspirants, taking them all over the place. This time, we will not allow that to happen.

    “Anyone of us who moves about with any aspirant should resign from the BoT. We are the ones that will settle the complaints. But if we are involved, then it will not be fair. So we have told our members not to campaign with the aspirants because we are also the delegates”.

    Read Also: 2019: Who gets PDP’s presidential ticket?

    Jibrin said the meeting also discussed ways of persuading some of the party’s 13 aspirants to withdraw from the race, to avoid crisis that the selection process might trigger.

    He however said no aspirant would be forced to withdraw from the race, adding that the BoT would set up a committee to work on the aspirants with the view to convincing them to reduce their number.

    “We are recommending that we have to manage the situation very well to ensure that it does not lead to crisis. The presidential aspirants are 13 in number so we are trying our best to ensure a reduction in the number.

    “But we are not going to force anybody to withdraw from the race, as consultations among party elders are still ongoing. We are going to bring out a committee that will work in the best interest of Nigerians.

    “We are forming a committee to meet with the aspirants. After that we will decide on what to do. We have decided to form a special committee to advise the National Working Committee ((NWC) of the party.

    “We are ready to confront all the rigging that happened in the last convention and to ensure free and fair elections during the upcoming presidential primaries. There should be no impunity. There should be no godfatherism”.

  • President to visiting German Chancellor: we respect agreements, rule of law

    President Muhammadu Buhari said in Abuja yesterday that his administration will always uphold the sanctity of the rule of law in governing the country.

    He also assured the visiting German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that all agreements will be fully respected.

    President Buhari received the German Chancellor, who was accompanied by top government officials and a business delegation, at the Presidential Villa.

    In his remarks during a bilateral meeting, the President said unity and harmony in every society can only be preserved by observing the rule of law and ensuring that agreements reached in good faith are followed through to the mutual benefits of countries.

    Buhari, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also told Chancellor Merkel and members of her delegation that the rule of law embodies all the rightful mechanisms for conflict resolution, both within the country and in dealing with all foreign partners.

    He assured that his administration remains focused on delivering a peaceful, economically viable and politically stable polity to all Nigerians.

    The President said Nigeria remained grateful to the German government for its fair treatment of migrants.

    He said Nigeria looks forward to improving its trade figures with Germany, which he said had taken strong interest in investing in the country and supporting the government in providing effective services in security, education and creation of jobs.

    The President said his administration instituted reforms in the economy to make it more internationally attractive and business friendly for investors, noting that infrastructure development had been a priority, especially in power supply, road and rail constructions.

    The economy, he said, was already responding to the diversification reforms and the stimulus of the government as growth is now largely driven by the non-oil sector.

    The President said Nigeria was politically stable, urging German investors to take advantage of the friendly climate.

    “I enjoin you to invest in Nigeria because this is the best time to do so,” he added.

    President Buhari noted that the successful political transitions since 1999 were clear indications of the country’s stability and preparedness to welcome more investments that will bolster the economy.

    In her remarks at the meeting, Chancellor Merkel said Germany was prepared to further strengthen bilateral and business relations with Nigeria, which, according to her, controls 60 per cent of ECOWAS economy.

    She said the population growth and opportunities in the economy can always be explored to improve employment situation in the country.

    Chancellor Merkel said the three Memoranda of Understanding signed during the visit represent a starting point for a healthier and deeper partnership with Nigeria in areas of security, trade, immigration and education.

    The Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen of South Africa for the manufacturing of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria while Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Petkus Technologies GMBH for the supply of seed and grain processing machines.

    The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with German African Business Association on fostering trade and investment.

     

  • FG pledges to support traditional herbalists

    The Federal Government has pledged to support research and create liaison with traditional healers with the knowledge of plants to develop, formulate and commercialize research findings into medicinal products.

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this on Friday in Abuja while addressing newsmen to mark this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day.

    Ehanire noted that the theme, “Local Manufacturing of African Traditional Medicine Products in the African Region”, was apt.

    He stressed that 25 to 45 per cent of pharmaceutical drugs in use today were derived from traditional medicine plants in different parts of the world.

    According to him, indigenous people all over the world, including Africans, treat common diseases and ailments, using medicinal plants in their traditional practices.

    He added that the African Region, like Asia and South America, was blessed with countless plant species, many with already known medicinal values, others with yet to be discovered medicinal properties.

    “Over 50,000 species of such plants are in sub–Saharan Africa, of which it is believed 25 per cent were in use for centuries for treatment and disease prevention,’’ the minister said.

    He quoted Prof. Maurice Iwu saying in a published handbook of African Medicinal Plants in February 2014, that about 2,000 plant species are presently used in indigenous African Medicines.

    “Nigeria has over 8,000 species with potential benefits in ethno-medicine or ethno-pharmacy,” he said.

    Read Also: The Ebola challenge, by herbalists

    Ehanire said that the Federal Ministry of Health, agencies and stakeholders were studying modalities to give traditional medicine a place in the nation’s health system.

    He noted that the 2018 commemoration urges utilization of medicinal plants for finished products an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies, private investors, food and cosmetics companies to create a value chain.

    The WHO Country Representative, Dr Alemu Wondimagegnehu, said that scaling up local manufacturing was key to contributing to achieving Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals.

    Wondimagegnehu added that stronger public-private-partnerships would boost investments in local manufacturing of medicinal products and help to protect against financial risk by improving economic and social development.

    He therefore called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and traditional health practitioners to accelerate local manufacturing of traditional medicine products

    NAN

  • Photos: Buhari, Theresa May in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met with the British Prime Minister, Theresa May at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    May’s visit to Nigeria is part of her tour of some Africa countries.

    Read Also: Buhari to Theresa May: 2019 Election will be free, fair, credible

  • Saraki, Jonathan meet in Abuja

    Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki is currently meeting with former president Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

    Saraki is meeting with Jonathan for the first time since his defection to the Peoples democratic party (PDP).

     

     

    More details soon…

  • NiMet predicts thunderstorms, rains for Wednesday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted moisture in the atmosphere with chances of thunderstorms and rainfall over most parts of the country for Wednesday.

    NiMet made this known in its Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Tuesday.

    It envisaged isolated thunderstorms around the northwestern parts of the country, especially over Nguru, Kano, Katsina and Dutse axis in the morning hours.

    The agency predicted that other parts of the northeast cities would experience thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening hours.

    NiMet said that day and night temperature in the northern region would be in the ranges of 29 – 34 degree Celsius and 22 – 23 degree Celsius respectively.

    It predicted moderate rains over the high grounds of the central cities of Mambilla plateau, Yola, and Taraba axis with localised thunderstorms over Abuja, Minna, Ilorin and Bida axis.

    The agency said that, the remaining parts of the central cities would be in cloudy conditions all through the morning hours.

    NiMet said that cloudy conditions would be expected over the central cities with the exception of Bauchi, Jos, Nassarawa Makurdi, Kaduna, Lokoja, Abuja, Jalingo and Yola that would experience thunderstorms and rains in the afternoon and evening hours.

    It said that day and night temperature in the central states would be in the range of 27 – 31degree Celsius and 22– 23 degree Celsius respectively, except for Jos that would be between 24 and 14 degree Celsius.

    The agency predicted light and moderate rains over the southern cities throughout the forecast period.

    It added that, day and night temperature in the southern states would be in the range of 29- 31 degree Celsius and 21– 23 degree Celsius respectively.