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Tag: ACN

  • Group lauds Buhari, Tinubu on merger

    Group lauds Buhari, Tinubu on merger

    A group, the ‘Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Total Loyalty,’ has described the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the greatest step taken by the opposition in the last 53 years.

    The group lauded the ACN, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),All progressive Grand Alliance(APGA) and All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) for forming the new party.

    The leader of the group, Alhaji Toyin Balogun, said the merger will dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and instal a credible administration at the centre.

    He noted the public enthusiasm that greeted the birth of APC, adding that it underscored the peoples’ yearning for power shift to the progressives.

    Balogun wondered why Nigerians have continued to wallow in poverty, despite the abundant of human and natural resources in the country. He described 2015 as the year of mass liberation from the misery, urging Nigerians to support the new party.

    He added: “The coming together of our major political parties- ACN, CPC, ANPP and APGA- to form a single front to bring to an end the dishonorable reign of the anti-people party is laudable.

    “It is long overdue. We thank God. It is timely. With the merger, we can be assured of a brighter future for Nigeria. The merger will not just bring about good governanc, it will also deepen democracy.

    “Nigeria has many people living below poverty level. When democracy was restored in 1999, there were a lot of expectation.

    “But 14 years after, the PDP has aggravated the problem. The party has no programme for Nigeria. PDP has been a national burden to the country. This must not continue. 2015 is our year of liberation.

    “We commend the effort of our leaders, most especially our indefatigable leader, a true nationalist, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He has made sacrifice and put Nigeria first. He is on a rescue mission. His name is already in the book of history”.

    Balogun also praised Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) for his commitment, adding that the former military Head of State has lived up to expectation.

    He urged the APC leaders to forge ahead in unity in the national interest.

    Balogun said the leaders should put to shame the detractors plotting the collapse of the merger.

    He said: “ For those that are forever locked in yesterday, hoping to see the merger derail, the tears of thousands that died as result of bad road, millions that died of hunger, hundreds that died as a result of insecurity and those that fell to the bullet of trigger happy policemen are daily crying for vengeance and God has listened by making the merger work”.

  • 1,000 PDP members join Enugu ACN

    Over a thousand members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State have joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The ACN leader, Joseph Okoloagu, said this in Enugu yesterday at a briefing by opposition parties.

    Okoloagu did not disclose the identities of the ex-PDP members.

    Representatives of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Labour Party (LP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) also attended the briefing.

    He said the mass defection of PDP members was an indication that things were about to change, adding that the new members have registered.

    The ACN leader said the party was now the umbrella of all opposition parties in the state.

    Okoloagu said opposition parties have resolved to use ACN as a temporarily platform, pending the consummation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • PDP greets opposition parties on merger

    PDP greets opposition parties on merger

    The Peoples Democratic Party has congratulated the opposition political parties for their successful merger and the formation of All Progressives Congress.

    In a statement in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said that PDP as a ruling party and the biggest in West Africa welcomed the development.

    Metuh said the action was an indication that the nation’s democracy had come of age and was deepening.

    He said that with the formation of the APC, the PDP and Nigerians expected to see robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance in the general interest of the country.

    The publicity secretary advised the opposition parties to use the vehicle of their new party to challenge its elected and appointed officers to debate on government projects and achievements.

    He said that such debates would benefit Nigerians and enhance the political development of the nation on the long run.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that four major opposition parties – the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Progressive Grand Alliance and All Nigeria Peoples Party on Tuesday merged to form the APC.

    The PDP spokesman said the party was ready at anytime to debate on the nation’s economy and other issues that would move the nation forward.

    He said, “We charge the opposition to use the new party to challenge our elected and appointed officers on debates on issues of governance.

    “We are ready, willing and able at any time to debate on any issue pertaining to the economy and any other issue of governance.

    “We want useful and constructive debates so that at the end of the day, Nigerians will be the utmost beneficiaries.”

    He said that PDP, as a ruling party was committed to the stability and development of the country, and would not dwell on the shortcomings of the merger arrangement.

  • Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Politics of succession is in the air in Akwa Ibom State. Who succeeds Governor Godswill Akpabio  in 2015? Correspondent Kazeem Ibrahym writes on the intrigues and underground moves by the governorship aspirants

    The political parties are on the track. But the contest for the governorship is actually between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Will PDP maintain its hold on power? Will the ACN displace the party Akwa Ibom State sin 2015?

    Governor Godswill Akpabio will leave the State House, Uyo, on May 29, following the expiration of his second term. Ahead of the general elections, alignments and realignments among the politicians have started.

    Akwa Ibom State has three senatorial districts; Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket. The late Chief Akpan Isemin, an Etinan, had ruled the state between 1991-1993. But his tenure was aborted by the military intervention in politics. Preceeding his administration was that of Wing Commander Idongesit Nkanga, an Nsit Ibom man, who ruled between 1990 –1991. Both the late Isemin and Nkanga are from Uyo Senatorial District.

    Former Governor Victor Attah, who hails from Ibesikpo Asutan, ruled the state from 1999 to 2003. It was during Attah’s time that it was agreed that power should shift to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the interest of peace, equity and social justice. That was how Akpabio, who hails from Ikot Ekpene, became the governor.

    The people of Eket Senatorial District are of the opinion that it is the turn of the zone to produce Akpabio’s successor. But this does not go down well with the people of Uyo Senatorial District, who are of the view that the governorship has never been zoned to any senatorial district in the history of the state. They argued that it has always been an open contest.

    Those supporting zoning and those against it are locked in scheming. The Elders Council’ of Uyo Senatorial District led by Otuekong Sunny Udoh is believed to be promoting the governorship ambition of the Secretary to Government, Mr. Umana Umana. It is not clear, if the ambition of the politician has the blessing of the governor.

    The elders are relying on historical facts as they forge ahead in their consultations on behalf of Umana. Udoh argued that Isemin contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts in the Third Republic. He also recalled that, after his emergence as governor, other positions were zoned to the three senatorial districts.

    The elders said in a statement: “Former Governor Attah, who was the governor between 1999 and 2003, contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts. That there was no zoning for the governorship was underscored by the fact that, even within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aspirants from the three senatorial districts were screened and cleared to contest the primaries for the position in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

    “The current governor, His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, won the primaries in 2006 and 2011 on his merit, after contesting against the aspirants from the three senatorial districts who were duly cleared by the PDP. Governor Akpabio won the two primaries deservedly and not because the position was zoned to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. After the emergence of Chief Godswill Akpabio as governor, other positions; Deputy Governor, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Party Chairman;` were zoned, in line with the practice in 1993, 1999 and 2003, to the three senatorial districts. Against the above background, the Elders Council takes serious exception to the statements made by some anti-democratic elements that the governorship in Akwa Ibom State in 2015 will be exclusively zoned to a particular senatorial district.”

    But former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, who is from Eket, disagreed with the elders. He said it is foolhardy for anyone to argue that there are no credible candidates in Eket Senatorial District to run the affairs of the state in 2015.

    Essien condemned the anti-zoning elements in the state, stressing that zoning has always characterised PDP’s electoral calculations in the state.

    “The zoning arrangement has become a characteristic of PDP. In Akwa Ibom State, the first governor in the democratic dispensation emerged from Uyo Senatorial District. At the end of his second term in office, it was agreed that Uyo Senatorial District was no longer contesting the governorship; that it should go to either Ikot Ekpene or Eket Senatorial District. It was also expected that which ever senatorial district emerged in the 2007 election will stand eliminated from the race in the next round of elections for governor. As it is now, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom have had their two terms in office. It automatically stands to reason that only Eket Senatorial District should present a credible candidate for the next round of elections.

    “May be, after the forth-coming elections, the best candidate, the best material and the highest bidder may emerge in the subsequent elections in 2015. But for now, the three senatorial districts have to be allowed to have their turns.” Essien said.

    In his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of Ibom Mandate Assembly, Mr. Iniobong John, who is from Uyo, disagreed with the Uyo Senatorial District’s Elders Council. He said Eket Senatorial District is the only zone that has not produced a governor, since the creation of the state. He explained that the other two zones have enjoyed the slot for 20 years in 2015.

    The letter reads in part: “ Eket Senatorial District is the hub of the oil wealth upon which Akwa Ibom and Nigeria is fed and sustained. In spite of the fact that, with 12 local government areas, the largest among the senatorial districts compared to Ikot Ekpene (10) and Uyo (9), Eket Senatorial Discrict and her diverse ethnic groups of Oro, Ibibio, Ekid, Ijaw and others, the zone is systematically subjected to political marginalisation and economic exploitation.”

    John quoted Article 7 Section 2, Sub-Section C of the PDP Constitution to support his claim on why Eket must produce the next governor. The section of the PDP Constitution reads: “In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of zoning and rotation of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by appropriate Executive Committees of the party at all levels.”

    “Mr. President, it may interest you to know that, following the recently concluded public hearing on the constitution review held across the country, the overwhelming vote of the people for zoning and power rotation in Akwa Ibom reverberated in all the 10 federal constituencies, the three senatorial districts and even at the state level, where Governor Godswill Akpabio lent his voice in support of rotation of power, publicly acknowledging that, himself is a product of zoning.” John added.

    In Akwa Ibom State, 2013 is a mirror of 2015. The various groups are coming up as campaign platforms drawing attention to the aspirations of their sponsors. Observers are of the view that the preparation for the 2015 contest led to the resignation of the former deputy governor, Nsima Ekere, who is believed to be a strong contender for the number one seat. Ekere, who hails from Mkpat Enin, the Ibibio axis of Eket Senatorial District, is banking on zoning to succeed Akpabio.

    But Governor Akpabio recently told The Nation that the resignation of Ekere has nothing to do with the governorship tussle. “I don’t think the resignation of the deputy governor has anything to do with 2015. That is my personal opinion. I think it has a lot to do with the personal decision of a public servant who decides to face other things. It really depends on what make you fulfilled as a person. So, I don’t think it has got anything to do with 2015, but there is nothing wrong in reading political connotations into anything that occurs in any political atmosphere. So, I believe strongly that in 2015, Akwa Ibom people are most likely to say let Godswill continue to be done,” he said.

    Asked if he is interested in who succeeds him, Akpabio said: “As a citizen of the state, I am definitely interested in ensuring that the tempo of development is not relaxed and I will be very glad, if we can have somebody who will be as passionate and dedicated as the current governor of Akwa Ibom State.”

    The governor’s explanation notwithstanding, many people believed that Ekere was almost evicted out of Akpabio’s government before he resigned to avoid any embarrassment.

    However, many also believe that the loyalty of Umana to Akpabio would play a key role in deciding who succeeds the governor in 2015. Umana will need to contend with strong forces from Eket Senatorial District, which are shaping the preparations for the battle.

    These include Senator Helen Esuene from Eket Senatorial District, Effiong Abia, an Oron man, who is serving as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Okpolupn Etteh from Ibeno, who is the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly; Ambassador Assam Assam, former Attorney General of the state and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Russia, and Jerome Isangiedighi, a member of the House of Assembly representing Oron/Orung Uko.

    Observers believe that urgent steps are required by the PDP to address its zoning arrangement and the controversy it has generated to prevent internal chaos that could result in the break down of law and order in the state.

  • ‘No crisis in Oyo ACN’

    ‘No crisis in Oyo ACN’

     Alhaji Abas Oloko is a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State. He spoke with JEREMIAH OKE about the Ajimobi Administration and challenges confronting the party in post-Adesina era.

    Some members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have kicked against the endorsement of Governor Abiola Ajimobi as the leader of the party in Oyo State. What is your reaction?

    There is no faction in Oyo ACN. We do not know any group called ‘Asiwaju Omoba’ in our party. No section of the state is opposed to the endorsement of governor Ajimobi. We are all one. Normally, the governor of the state should be the leader of the party because of the experience and the exposure. Look at the people who are holding that post in any state of the federation.

    Our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is a former governor, Chief Bisi Akande is a former governor. Chief Segun Osoba is a former governor. The late Alhaji Lam Adesina was a governor. Even during the time of Alliance for Democracy (AD), the late Bola Ige was the leader of the party and he was a governor. All these people emerged as leaders. If anybody wants to contest the position, he should come out. They do not vote for a leader, but the leader of a party in a state will emerge. The blood of politics runs in the veins Governor Ajimonbi because his father was also a member of the House of Assembly between 1979 and 1983. He is not a new man in politics and he is capable to run the party.

    How do you assess the performance of Governor Abiola Ajimobi?

    He has been performing excellently. After the late Kolapo Ishola left as governor in Oyo State, we have had three democratically elected governors and none of them has performed like him. In the past, look at how dirty and unorganized the state was. If you enter the state from Lagos or Osun State, you will be disturbed by its filth.

    If you had gone round Ibadan before the emergence of Senator Ajimobi as the governor, you will see how our people were dropping garbage everywhere. They built shops at the middle of the road. Imagine people building shops under a high tension wire, which is very dangerous for them. All these were as a result of the lack of discipline of the past administrations in the state. But within a year, Governor Ajimobi has returned the state to its old glory. So, I want to say Governor Ajimobi has been doing great job in the state.

    Do you see Accord Party as a major opposition in the state?

    Accord Party is a worthless party in Oyo State. Senator Rashidi Ladoja should go and rest from politics because he is too old to contest. This administration has achieved what he could not achieve during his time. So, I don’t see them wining any election in the state. Ladoja should go and relax somewhere and, if he contests for any election again, he will fail woefully.

    Why did you leave PDP?

    I left because it is not structurally organised; everybody wants to be the leader. They are all liars and deceptive. I started PDP together with the Late Chief Lamidi Adedibu in Oyo State and I discovered that they don’t have any programme for the masses. That is why the crisis is still lingering in their party. They can never win any election in Oyo State again, even if they succeed with their reconciliation moves because they are confused.

    The people of Oyo State are progressive-minded and they will never allow the people who are corrupt, wicked and who have no conscience to come back and destroy the state for them again.

    Some people have alleged that you are a political harlot for defecting from PDP to ACN. What is your reaction to this?

    I have defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before election, because the former governor, Alao-Akala, does not listen to correction. He was a stubborn fellow who always creates problem in the state.

    One of the reasons I defected was the issue of the chairmanship tussle oamong traditional rulers in the state. I went to the governor to complain that he should settle the crisis between him and make Alaafin as the permanent chairman of the traditional rulers in the state, but he objected. Even the history of Yoruba backs him up to be the head of all the kings, not only in Oyo state, but in Yorubaland. Akala even went to the extent of trying to divide Oyo town.

    Another incident was that of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). Akala lifted the ban on the activities of the union in, just to create problem in the state.

    The two incidents were aimed at creating problems for Governor Ajimobi, but the governor was so smart and he received divine wisdom from God to maintain peace in the state. With these reasons, I made up my mind and resolved that PDP is not a party of a credible people. I resigned and defected to the ACN. Even, if PDP in Oyo State resolves all its internal wrangling, it cannot beat ACN in the 2015 general elections because Yoruba people are tired of them. Their crisis is from the top. Somebody will say there is no executive of the party in the state, another person will want to be the governor, senator, and another person will want to be the party chairman. They are all having problems.

    Look at the serious problem they are having now at the national level. Do you think they can resolve it before the 2015 elections? Anyway, I am sure that, with the merger move of our leaders, we will wrest power from them at the national level in 2015.

    Do you have any regret leaving PDP?

    I do not have any regret at all because I am leaving a peaceful life now, unlike before when I was still with them, where crises, troubles were their watchword. They will keep losing elections in the Southwest.

    What do you think is the reason for the defection of prominent people like Olunloyo and others from PDP to ACN?

    We all defected because the crisis in PDP is terrible and we all want peace. Senator Ayo Adeseun is a grassroots politician and he has never lost any election. Senator Adeseun warned Alao-Akala not to venture into many things, but he refused to yield to his advice. Imagine, we went to a meeting in Lagos with President Jonathan; you need to see how rude Akala was to the President when he started banging the table, and said to his face that without him, he will win his election. That was when all of us knew that their is no discipline in the party.

    ive minded in the state.

    Some people describe Governor Abiola Ajimobi as a ‘go slow governor’. What is your reaction to this?

    They were saying that when he just came on-board. There is a reason for that because, when a new government emerges, he needs to study the condition of things in the office before he embarks on any project.

    Let me give you an illustration. When you want to drive a car and you begin to accelerate at top speed, that shows that you are inexperienced and that may cost you your life. It shows that you cannot drive, but when you start slowly, you will get to your destination safely and that shows you are an experienced driver. The same thing applies to the way Governor Ajimobi is running this state.

     

     

     

    He started by observing the situation of things in the state and today he has done a lot to improve the standard of living of our people. He has paid the civil servant their dues. He considered the welfare of the workers as paramount important to him and he has constructed many roads. The ongoing fly-over of Mokola junction will soon be completed in a few months time. Education in the state has witness a new dimension. He does not allow indiscipline and corruption.

    Do you have any political ambition in mind?

    My political ambition in 2015 is to ensure that Governor Ajimobi returning back to the Agodi Government House as the elected Governor of Oyo State.

    What is your message to the people of Oyo State concerning the present administration?

    The people of the state should give the present administration their full support and be patient with Governor Abiola Ajimobi towards the transformation of the state.

  • ACN wants electronic voting in 2015

    The Action Congress of Nigeria on Sunday said the country must use electronic voting  in 2015 in order to ensure the integrity of its elections.

    The party also called for the hand over of elections back to Nigerians instead of the judiciary.

    ACN in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said with electronic voting, the overall cost of elections will be far less; there will be stability in the polity, the atmosphere of war usually associated with elections will disappear and the involvement of the security agencies will be de-emphasized.

    It said though Section 52 sub-section 2 of the Electoral Act bans the use of electronic voting ”for the time being”, the National Assembly should move quickly to amend that part of the law, while the Federal Government should provide the Independent National Electoral Commission with all the resources needed to make electronic voting a reality.

    The statement reads:

    ”We assure INEC of our full support towards using electronic voting in 2015. We also appeal to all other political parties, Civil Society Organizations and indeed all Nigerians to join us in pushing for a system that will eliminate the role of thugs and sideline vote thieves during our elections, in addition to making our elections free, fair and credible.

    ”While electronic voting is not a magic wand, it is the surest way yet for Nigeria to join the league of countries that have wiped out electoral fraud, which is the worst form of corruption. It is also the best way to hand over Nigeria’s elections back to Nigerians, instead of having the judiciary determine who wins what contest. Two years is a long enough time to achieve this.”

    The party argued that even Ghana, which has organised perhaps the best elections in this part of the world, has realized it can no longer continue with manual voting, hence it did not wait for troubles associated with electoral malfeasance to break out before embracing electronic voting during its last general elections in December.

    ”It is not just enough for us to sit back in envy while the world hails our neighbour Ghana for being a model in electoral rectitude and participatory democracy. Let us ask ourselves what we need to do differently to shed our toga of electoral fraud and brigandage.

    ”Yes, there were some hiccups during the last elections in Ghana, which were conducted with electronic voting. But Ghana quickly moved to correct whatever problems came up. The system also allowed Ghana to extend voting without fearing that ballot boxes will be hijacked or stuffed,” it added.

     

     

  • Court frees detained ACN members

    A  Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Oke-Eda, Akure, Ondo State, yesterday freed five members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who were arrested after the party’s mega rally in Ondo town on October 3, last year.

    Jimoh Adebiyi, Ojo Gbenga, Joseph Ogah, Samson Otugbo and Oyewole Gabriel were accused of “conspiracy and conduct likely to breach the peace”.

    They were detained at Olokuta Prison until October 29, when they were transferred to the Police Headquarters, Akure, and arraigned.

    The accused told the court that they were arrested for wearing the ACN’s vest, which had the inscription: ‘Akeredolu for Governor’.

    The Attorney-General, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), who took over the prosecution of the case, said the accused had a case to answer and should not be granted bail.

    Eyitayo sent three lawyers from his office and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP’s) to handle the matter.

    Yesterday, the Magistrate, A. Akintoye, freed the accused, following the prosecutors’ absence at the second adjournment. Defence counsel Charles Titiloye told reporters that the judgment was a vindication of the rule of law.

    He warned the state government against dragging the Judiciary into politics and witch-hunting the opposition.

  • ACN meets to resolve crises in Abia, others

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Zonal Working Committee in the Southeast yesterday met in Anambra State to discuss how to resolve the crises in some states.

    The states are Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu.

    They are currently embroiled in various crises.

    The meeting was summoned at the instance of one of its leaders, Senator Chris Ngige, who is representing Anambra Central.

    The party’s zonal working committee was led by Uche Onyegeocha.

    The committee sought to address matters affecting the states’ chapters.

    On Ebonyi, the Zonal Working Committee welcomed the influx of old and new members to the party.

    It warned against an attempt by any person or group of persons to prevent new or old members from joining the party.

    The committee described such action as undemocratic and capable of tearing the party apart.

    On the Enugu crisis, the party cautioned against acts that could draw the reconciliation process back.

    It urged the various parties that are at loggerheads to sheathe their swords.

    The committee expressed its readiness to win future elections in the region.

    It promised to win the Anambra State governorship election later this year.

    ACN also promised Anambra residents that it would produce a candidate to liberate the state from poor governance.

    The meeting was attended by distinguished ACN members, including former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa; ACN National Vice-Chairman, Dr. Chudi Nwike; Chief Obi Anam, Mr. Angus Aniebonam, Mr Emeka Ibe, Mr A. C. Ude as well as the chairmen of each state chapter.

     

  • ACN to Jonathan: be serious this year

    ACN to Jonathan: be serious this year

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday urged the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Administration to shake off its “trade mark lethargy” and take governance more seriously this year to ease the hardship which his government has foisted on Nigerians.

    In a New Year message by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the AC N said since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999, last year ranked among the worst for Nigerians.

    It said having ambushed Nigerians on January 1, 2012 with a totally unnecessary and punitive fuel price hike, the Jonathan administration ensured that everything went downhill from that moment until the end of the year when Nigerians had to pay far above the official price for fuel, with its attendant bandwagon effect on the price of goods and services.

    ‘’Mr. President, that singular act of your administration helped to erode whatever trust Nigerians reposed in you. Since trust is a critical element between the government and governed, you must begin to rebuild trust by delivering on your promises, since trust can neither be decreed nor forced.

    ‘’Suffice it to say that Nigerians cannot and will not trust an administration that promises to fight corruption but has presided over the worst cases of corruption in the history of the country; Nigerians cannot and will not trust an administration that sets up committees after committees to probe the oil sector, only to shamelessly dump the reports of the committees in the garbage can! And Nigerians cannot and will not trust a spendthrift administration that wastes scarce resources on flimsy projects like banquet halls and mansions for a few government officials, when millions are jobless and homeless,’’ the ACN said.

    The party advised the President to drop his “amorphous Transformation Agenda” in favour of a compact programme that prioritises security, job creation, infrastructural development and the fight against corruption.

    It also advised the government to stop relying on “phantom statistics to give Nigerians the impression that it is delivering the dividends of democracy, when indeed the opposite is the case.

    ‘’The Jonathan administration trumpets economic growth figures with glee, but of what use is economic growth that has not translated to better lives for the people, create jobs, put food on the table and make our roads more motorable?

    ‘’Despite this so-called economic growth, the reality of the Nigerian situation is that more of our youths are daily meandering through traffic in our major cities selling toothpicks, rat poison and pure water. What does this so-called economic growth figures mean to them?

    ‘’In 2013, the Jonathan administration must jettison cooked-up economic growth figures and make a concerted effort to reverse the situation that has seen an estimated 11 million Nigerian children out of school, 46 per cent of our youths unemployed, made Nigeria a country with one of the highest rates of road crashes in the world, put the country’s life expectancy at a mere 51.9 years (compared with 62.7 for Gabon, 73.4 for Mauritius and 74 for Libya) and the indignity of annually seeing the country ranked among the most corrupt,’’ the ACN said

  • Akume clocks 59, urges ACN members to stay focused

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, yesterday clocked 59 years and celebrated the day in a low key at his Judges quarters  residence in Makurdi with family, friends and political associates.

    The former governor started the day with a thanksgiving service in his house chapel, which was conducted by Rev. Fr. Utov of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi.

    Thereafter, there was a reception at his residence where he addressed his admirers who turned out in their numbers singing Ishoir chenji (ACN songs) songs.

    Senator Akume later went down memory lane as he told the story of his life from growing up to civil service where he was made the Gboko Local Government caretaker chairman twice.

    Senator Akume narrated how he rose from the rank to become a permanent secretary in the civil service, thereafter won election and served the state for eight years.

    He said after serving the state as a governor, he is now a senator twice and gave God the glory for what he has done is his life and called on Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) supporters not to loose focus.

    He said: “Let me advised ACN supporters to remained steadfast in their support for party as very soon the ACN, CPC and ANPP are going to come together and take over power and install a government which will have the yearnings and aspirations of the people at heart.”

    The Senate Minority leader stated that very soon APGA will also join the merger train and appealed to the people to double their support for ACN ahead of 2015 elections.

    He said Benue State  belongs to everyone and the ACN as political party aspired for leadership position to provide credible leadership for the good of all and urged the people not be disappointed .