The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adamawa

  • Osinbajo chairs NEC meeting

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday presided over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting which will deliberate on the minimum wage request, among other issues, started around 11.26am when Osinbajo arrived the Council chamber.

    After rendition of the National anthem, opening prayer was offered by Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong.

    Read Also: We’ve credible plans to get Nigerians out of poverty, Says Osinbajo

    Among state governors in attendance included Lagos, Zamfara, Adamawa, Kebbi, Jigawa, Niger, Ekiti, Bauchi,

    Among the deputy governors in the hall included Nasarawa and Ogun.

    Also in attendance were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed.

    Others at the meeting included Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefuele.

  • Minimum wage: Adamawa will pay N30, 000- Bindow

    Adamawa State Governor Umar Bindow has assured the state will implement the N30, 000 agreed by the tripartite committee on the new National minimum wage.

    The governor told The Nation in an interview in Yola, the state capital, that whatever is agreed upon by the federal government will be implemented by the state without any reservation.

    He declared he was of the firm belief workers deserve their wages.

    Bindow, who insisted payment of salaries was not an achievement any government or employers should be parading, said despite the lean resources of the state, his government has kept faith with regular payment of salaries to workers, including payment of arrears of salaries inherited from previous government.

    He said: “When we came in, there was nothing. Even mere salary of worked in the state was not paid.

    “There was about seven months arrears that the former governor refused to pay.

    Read Also: Buhari to monarchs: influence peaceful elections

    “But I have been able to offset the arrears with about N5 billion because this state is a civil service state.

    “They say, yes I am laying infrastructure but they also want their stomach infrastructure by way of salaries taken care of too and of course people must eat.

    “If there is any country or state that cannot pay salaries, that country or state is a failed state because personally, paying salaries is not a yardstick for performance.

    “It is compulsory that you pay people because they are working. So, it is not a developmental yardstick.

    “You cannot say because this governor is paying salaries, then he has performed.”

    On the position of some governors that N30, 000 is unaffordable, Bindow said: “As far as we are concerned in Adamawa, whatever the federal government agrees to, we also agree to pay. I cannot do otherwise.”

    Speaking on his relationship with Labour in the state, the governor said: “Whatever I do, I carry everybody along. Whatever I do in the state, even if it does not affect them, I call them in and they see how I do things.

    “I have been paying their salaries and don‘t have problem with them. I am always with them and whenever they invite me, I am always there for them.”

  • Group: Bindow will win

    A group, the Home Front, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State to gird their loins ahead of the general elections.

    The group is mobilising support for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow.

    The group said the post-primary crisis will soon be over and that members should be optimistic about the prospect of unity.

    It said the president and the governor deserve second terms, based on their performances.

    Its coordinator, Wafarniyi Theman, told reporters that those opposing the candidature of Bindow would be reconciled  and that they will eventually lend their support to his re-election bid.

    Theman said: “Nuhu Ribadu is already in the presidential campaign team. Modi is a member of the APC and of the First Family. Adamawa and the APC belong to all of us.

    “Nuhu Ribadu, Ahmed Halilu Mahmood (Modi), the former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and every other aggrieved member will work for the success of the APC and its candidate, Bindow.”

    Ribadu and Modi, the two governorship aspirants that lost to Bindow in the quest for the Adamawa APC governorship ticket, had described the October 2018 primary election as fraud and have still not withdrawn their opposition to hiss candidacy.

    Read also: PDP urges Plateau people to vote out Lalong for poor performance

    Modi, a brother to President Muhammdu  Buhari’s wife, has a staunch supporter in former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, who, among other people, have consistently expressed opposition to Bindow’s re-election, even though they are campaigning for Buhari’s second term.

    Theman, the APC state secretary,  has waved the intra-party wrangling aside, insisting that the APC would mend its fences in Adamawa State and retain the governorship seat through the party’s flag bearer for the March election, Bindow.

    He said: “The APC remains one family. All the voices will merge into one. We will work together to deliver Adamawa for our party.”

     

  • 396 pre-election cases may stymie Vote 2019

    ABOUT 42 days to the general election, there are still a lot of pre-election matters before the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court with glaring implications for  the umpire (INEC), the parties and candidates. Many candidates in  Adamawa,  Zamfara, Rivers, Ogun,  Kwara, Imo and others do not know their fate. According to records obtained from INEC, there are 396 court actions arising from the primaries conducted by political parties. The figure is higher than 200 matters in court before the 2015 poll. A source in INEC said: “All the things we have criticized about general elections manifested during the primaries.”

    The big question is: Will the court be able to resolve all pre-election matters on or before February 16? Will candidates still win elective offices through the backdoor this time around?  Nigerians look forward to the Judiciary to save the electoral process and restore sanity.

  • Adamawa Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader sacked

    The Deputy Speaker and Majority Leader of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Tsamdu and Hassan Barguma respectively have been removed.

    The Assembly, in an unusual sitting Saturday, also impeached the Deputy Majority Leader, Abubakar Isa (Shelleng Constituency); and Deputy Chief Whip, Abdullahi Nyapak (Verre Constituency).

    In their places, Lumsabani Dilli (Demsa Constituency) was made the Deputy Speaker, while Hayatu Atiku (Uba-Gaya) was elected Majority Leader.

    Safiyanu Aminu Aliyu (Song Constituency) became the new Deputy Chief Whip whike Sani Shehu (Mubi North Constituency) became the Deputy Majority Leader.

    The Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, confirmed the development, but in a reaction, Emmanuel Tsamdu rejected his impeachment, asserting, “13 people cannot impeach me.”

    The Assembly comprises 25 members, which implies that only slightly more than half the number conducted the impeachment.

    It was still unclear by press time why the impeachment was effected and why it should be on a Saturday.

  • Adamawa: Party primaries generate 396 court cases -INEC

    The recent primaries conducted by political parties in Adamawa State led to 396 court cases and 52 petitions filed by aggrieved aspirants, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed.

    Speaking at a function in Yola, the state capital, the state electoral commissioner, Kassim Gaidam, spoke of “the present battle by the commission over 396 litigations and 52 petitions as fallout of party primaries held from August to October 2018,” and appealed to politicians to adhere to the rules of election to minimize dissents.

    Read Also: Fayemi presents N129.9b Appropriation Bill for 2019

    “Without free, fair and credible elections, democracy cannot thrive in Nigeria,” Gaidam told the politicians who gathered at the Green City Hotel in Jimeta on Thursday to either sign or witness the signing of a peace accord meant to bind the 29 governorship candidates of the state to a peaceful conduct before, during and after the 2019 general elections.

    He said electoral malpractice must be avoided because it is dangerous as its effects could be worse than prompting court cases and petitions and could degenerate to violence by aggrieved people who do not have the means or patience to go to court or write petitions.

    He therefore reiterated the need for politicians to play the game by the rule during the 2019 general elections to minimize dissents and avoid litigations or violence.

    The state resident electoral commissioner pledged the commitment of INEC to justice and fair play, and to exhibit high sense of responsibility through non-partisanship, impartiality and true adherence to the rule of law to ensure that the votes of the people would count.

  • 10,000 Police Job: PSC gets 158,773 submission within 18 days

    The Police Service Commission (PSC), said it has received 158,773 applications from Nigerians who are seeking employment into the Nigeria Police Force as Constables.

    The Commission said it got the submissions 18 days after the announcement to recruit 10,000 as Constables was made.

    Out of the applications received, 140,902 are males while 17, 871 are females.

    The Commission while giving an update of the recruitment process in a statement in Abuja by its Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani said the submissions reached 158,773 as at 11.00am on Monday, December 17th, 2018.

    Read Also: Govt. deploys troops, as gunmen kill 12 in fresh Southern Kaduna attack

    On the states with highest and lowest submissions, Ani said: “Niger State maintained its lead with 11,047 applicants while Bayelsa also remained last with 672 applicants. Kano State has the second highest applicants with 10,745 applications, Katsina State third with 9,778, Bauchi State fourth with 8,882 and Kaduna fifth with 8,832 and Adamawa sixth with 7,722.

    “Following Bayelsa State from the rear is Lagos State with 826 applicants, Ebonyi third from the rear with 980, Anambra, 984 and Abia State, 1,195 applicants.”

    The Commission advised interested applicants to apply within the next 21 days as the PSC portal would close on the 11th of January 2019.

  • 2019: INEC tasks staff on productivity, credible elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the commission’s desk officers to develop themselves for greater productivity for the forthcoming general elections to be more credible than that of 2015.

    Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Gombe State, made the call in Gombe on Thursday during the North East Capacity Building Workshop on `Voter Education’ for desk officers.

    Ibrahim, who was represented by his Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Abacha Bukar, said the success of any election largely depended on effective voter education, among others.

    According to him, it is only when the electorate are fully informed of the electioneering process that credible election will be envisaged.

    He called on the participants to work hard toward ensuring free, fair and credible elections in their respective states and the country at large.

    Read Also: Chair: INEC ready for credible polls

    “As the 2019 general elections approach, the commission will be counting on your experience, dedication, creativity, professionalism and patriotism to accomplish these noble objectives.

    “This is even more imperative with the menace of vote-buying gaining prominence and other ills threatening our electoral system, ‘’ the commissioner said.

    In her remarks, Mrs Mary Nkem, Deputy Director, Voter Education, INEC, Abuja, said that the objectives of the workshop was to build staff capacity for effective voter education ahead of 2019 general elections.

    She said that it was also an avenue to brief the staff on key voter education activities for the elections.

    Nkem said that INEC was committed to make the elections free, fair and credible.

    She called on the participants to be free and interact for them to fully understand the purpose of the workshop.

    The participants were drawn from Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States

    NAN

  • Atiku turbaned 7th Waziri of Adamawa Emirate

    Former Vice President and the Presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has been formally turbaned the 7th Waziri of Adamawa Emirate.

    The position of Waziri makes the former Vice President next to the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo, in hierarchy in the emirate.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Lamido of Adamawa, said Atiku was honoured with the title of Waziri because of his immense contributions to the development of Nigeria, particularly Adamawa State, where his impact was felt in various sectors.

    “Atiku has also contributed greatly to unifying the people of Adamawa and providing useful advise to the emirate.

    “The position of Waziri, which is the highest in the council puts him in charge of administration of the emirate and is given to people who are educated, honest and God fearing.

    “It’s not hereditary and can go to anyone who deserves it.”

    While urging the new Waziri to continue to carry everyone along and unite the people of Adamawa for more development, Barkindo urged all other traditional title holders to and cooperate with the new Waziri.

    In his remarks, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the FCT Minister, Alhaji Musa Bello, congratulated Atiku for the esteemed position given him and wished him a successful reign.

    Also speaking, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, commended Lamido for upgrading Atiku from Turaki to Waziri, adding that Atiku would surely not disappoint the emirate.

    “I assure you that he will carry out his tasks with dignity, respect, honour and you will be proud of him,” Obasanjo said.

    In his acceptance speech, Atiku expressed gratitude to God for the honour and thanked the Lamido and Nigerians for his various achievements in life.

    Atiku assured the emirate council and traditional institution of his commitment to continue to work for peace and unity of the emirate and the nation in general.

    NAN reports that the colourful turbaning ceremony was graced by dignitaries from within and outside the country including, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, former President Goodluck Jonathan, his vice Namadi Sambo as well as governors of Gombe, Taraba, Sokoto and Bayelsa states. (NAN)

  • Atiku in Adamawa: vote out Buhari

    •He represents bad past, says APC

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar came under attack yesterday for asking the people of Adamawa State to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s election.

    Atiku was in his Adamawa home state to tell his kinsmen to reject Buhari and others in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the Federal Government under Buhari’s watch, had caused so much pains for the country.

    But the APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Isa-Onilu said it was insensitivity on the part of the former vice president to seek the support of his kinsmen in Adamawa.

    Mallam Isa-Onilu said: “Atiku failed the people of Adamawa in the past and it is insensitive of him to stand before those he had disappointed. It is the height of insensitivity for the PDP candidate to stand before the people of Adamawa to campaign.

    “What exactly did he do for the people of his own state in his eight years as vice president? What can the PDP point at in Adamawa State for its 16 years of waste?

    “We are very confident that Nigerians, indeed the people of Adamawa know very much that PDP represents a sad past while the APC administration led by President Buhari is a pointer to a prosperous future.”

    Read also: Buhari’s, Atiku’s campaign chiefs clash at presidential debate

    Atiku spoke at Youth endorsement and road show organised for him at the Lamido Cinema in Jimeta, Yola, by one of his support groups, Atiku/Obi Vanguard for Good Governance, which urged him to fight hard and defeat Buhari in the 2019 elections.

    He said Buhari had failed the country in too many ways and that the youths have it as their duty to vote him out.

    Atiku reiterated his commitment to high participation of youths and women in his government should he win election and become president, specifying that youths would get 40 per cent participation and women 30 per cent.

    Leader of the group Bar Teneka, said so many negative things had happened since Buhari became President that he ought to be voted out.

    He said: “It is no longer news that our country has been designated world extreme poverty capital. And we’ve been declared one of the most dangerous countries to be born in.

    “It is also no longer news that massive and unabated corruption continues to fester. We are more divided as a country now than we have ever been.”