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Tag: Adams Oshiomhole

  • Ortom backs Oshiomole for APC Chairman

    Governor Samuel Ortom has expressed support for the former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to become the National chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC.

    He made his position known when Comrade Oshiomhole visited him at the Benue State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.

    Governor Ortom said as a former Governor, the contender had the requisite pedigree, antecedents and experiences enough to efficiently run the affairs the party at the national level.

    He described Comrade Oshiomhole’s decision to contest for the position as a welcome development especially that the Nigerian Governor’s Forum had adopted him.

    The Governor urged the renowned unionist to use his expertise to reposition the party for the progress of the country and the deepening of the democratic process if elected.

    Read Also: Ortom: no going back on anti-grazing law

    He expressed satisfaction with the current national leadership of the party for its strides over the years but said there was always room for improvement.

    Governor Ortom expressed hope that the aspirant would interact with Benue delegates before the party’s convention in Abuja, even as he wished him well in his aspiration.

    Comrade Oshiomhole had said his visit to the Governor was to condole him, the government and people of the state over the killings and also inform him of his intention to run for the party’s national chairmanship position.

    He said his desire to become National Chairman was to contribute his quota towards reinventing the party so as to increase the bonding of members for the pursuit of the  progressive ideas and vision for which it was founded.

    The aspirant said he was familiar with the diversity of the country and that if voted, he would not betray the trust bestowed on him by his fellow party men as well as all the stakeholders and expressed appreciation to Governor Ortom for the warm reception accorded him.

  • I am not a dictator – Oshiomhole

    An aspirant for the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he is not a dictator as being expressed in some quarters.

    Comrade Oshiomhole who is the immediate past governor of Edo State, exoaliend that he got the support of APC governors and other party leaders across the country because they understand the type of person he is.

    Oshiomhole who reiterated his loyalty to the party said he would exercise his persuasive powers and negotiating skilling in resolving the crisis in the party.

    The former Edo Governor who spoke in an interview with newsmen said majority of the party leaders supporting his aspiration believed he would improve the fortunes of the APC.

    Comrade Oshiomhole said he has never exercised dictatorial powers but persuasive powers and negotiating skills.

    Read Also: ‘Support Oshiomole as APC national chair’

    According to him, “If I have prominent people from the North, prominent people from the South, East and West it means I will be the center. No one will say if not for my support you would not have been there. If you are a product of one section then you might remain detained by that section if you feel that to return that office you must service that section because it is your support base. But when you have the privilege of a broad support, from many leaders then no one leader will say I put you there you must listen to me.

    “But let me also say is that what is also qualitatively different about this support is that there is no question about what is influencing this support because conventionally in our political environment, we hear that those who has the deepest pocket tends to buy the support. But these support is being offered from people who cannot be procured which tells you it is flowing from the knowledge of my person.

    “Because I have been fortunate to work with all the governors, including past governors. Those I did not meet in office I met them when I was President of the NLC, we had engaged on one to one so they know what I stand for. So they offered this support based on their understanding of my person and not inducement and that makes a difference.

    “Some of the things I learnt in the labour union is negotiations and never dictatorial because even though I was the President of the NLC, I cannot even control my deputy because he was voted the same manner I was elected. In the NLC you must listen to everybody unlike in government where as an executive you can dictate decisions.”

  • Osinbajo holds close door meeting with Oba of Benin

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday held a private meeting with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II at his Palace in Benin, the Edo capital.

    Also at the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes were the Governor of Edo, Mr Godwin Obaseki, his Deputy Governor , Phillip Shaibu and former Governor of Edo, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Journalists were however not briefed about what transpired at the meeting.

    The Vice President left the palace to the Benin Airport for Abuja at about 2.00 pm.

    Read Also: Govt to empower millions, says Osinbajo

    Osinbajo arrived Benin on June 14 for a two-day working tour of Edo.

    During the visit, the Vice President performed the ground breaking ceremony of 1800 Housing Units Emotan Garden Estate at Ikpoba Okha Local Government Council and commissioned the Solar Lighting Project at Edaiken Market in Benin.

    Osinbajo also launched the South-South Innovation Hub and attended the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinic, where he had a chat with owners of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme.

    He also visited the Azura Power Project in Benin.

     

    NAN

  • Obasanjo should be jailed, Says Oshiomhole

    As Abiola’s children accuses Ex-President of betrayal

    Former Edo State governor and top contender for the office of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo should arrested and sent to jail if found to have soiled his hands.

    Oshiomhole spoke In a pre-June 12 event he organized in honour of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN and acclaimed winner if the June 12 1993 Presidential Election, Bashorun MKO Abiola. He dismissed reports credited to the former President that President Buhari wanted to frame and arrest him, saying when he was in power, he also arrested and detained people, thinking that he would be president for ever.

    At the event, Hafsat Abiola Castillo accused the former President of betraying their father when he declared that Abiola was not the messiah Nigeria was looking for and never mentioned him once in his eight years in office as President.

    Oshiomhole also praised Chief Frank Kokori for standing up to dictatorship when it mattered most, saying even though he was not President if the NLC, he mobilized oil workers to support the ideals of democracy.

    Oshiomhole said Chief Obasanjo should be investigated and sent to jail if found to have dipped his hands in the pie.

    He said: “Gani is not here today, but his spirit is here. Falana is here and today, I am standing. Even the president who was in charge then, he is now complaining that they want to harass him. He was harassing me and he got me arrested. He thought he himself would not be arrested?

    “If I were the president, I would arrest him. We are all Nigerians. I remember one day I told him, I said ‘President Obasanjo, we made you president. You did not make me a Nigerian. You are our creation; I am not your creation. You must listen’.

    “But he thought he would be in power forever and he tried to take us on the way to Zimbabwe. He was a reluctant Head of State, became president for two terms and he wanted to do a third term because a cockroach licking palm oil would never lick enough.

    Read Also: My commitment to APC is total, says Oshiomhole

    “I remember when I was accused by former president Obasanjo of behaving as if I was an alternate president; that I was running the NLC like a parallel government,  that I wanted to overthrow his government. A small man like me, completely powerless.

    “If I am dark like this, it is because of Obasanjo’s teargas. When I now hear these same people saying they are trying to arrest them, why shouldn’t they be arrested? He should be arrested if he has committed any offence. He arrested many of us.

    “So, if we are celebrating Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we have compelling reasons to do so. In all of these, we didn’t pay any money to Gani or Falana. They defended us pro bono.

    “The late Abiola would be smiling not just for the honour done him by the president, but that Frank Kokori who was very young then, deployed the instrumentality of oil workers to support the progressive mission of the civil society.

    “It is not the position you occupy, but the role that you play that will define your place in history. This man was never an NLC president, but he is the only unionist invited to the investiture.

    “So, we just consulted among ourselves, few of us who benefited from Gani’s leadership by using the instrument of the law to confront evil leaders. At the NLC, we were so efficient at causing troubles, but too poor to procure the services of legal titans like Gani and Falana, but who would always come and defend us pro bono. So, we felt that on the eve of his investiture, we should gather and celebrate him.

    “On June 12, the late Abacha asked us to tell Abiola to do a national broadcast to renounce his mandate. Pascal Bafyau advised him to take the bail conditions because he got information that the regime was ready to keep him in jail indefinitely, but Abiola said he wouldn’t mind dying, that if you are already in the river, you can no longer complain of being wet.

    “Abiola died, but Abacha also died and today, Abiola’s children can go anywhere and say I am Abiola. But I am not sure of other persons”.

    Speaking at the emotion laden event, daughter of the late Chief Abiola, Hafsat Costello, said some people they considered as close friends of their father abandoned them when the June 12 controversy began, only to start calling the family’s phone lines when President Muhammadu Buhari proclaimed June 12 as Democracy Day and conferred a posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic GCFR on the late democrat.

    She said: “MKO had friends who seemed like friends, but they disappeared when the problems started and only started calling us when this award thing came last week. The phones have been ringing, but 25 years is enough to know your friends. I want to thank Mr Femi Falana, Prof. Pat Utomi and a few others for standing by us in the past 25 years.

    “There is another story. MKO had this classmate who he used to assist even to pay his fees in school. But after June 12, he was the first person to say that MKO was not the Messiah. And he was president for eight years and couldn’t even mention MKO for once. He couldn’t honour him.

    “We thank Buhari for this. He does things differently from the way the average Nigerian elite does things. If there is anything that means a lot to me, it is because MKO was true to the Nigerian people. If he had betrayed that mandate, he would have died a broken man and no amount of wealth would have made him happy.

    “I have just being thinking about MKO. To have known him was to know greatness in the body of a Nigerian. MKO came from a very poor family. He used to be a singer, a drummer and boxer. People just gave him money not because this voice was good, but perhaps they just took pity on him, a destitute singer”.

    Also speaking, Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s son, Mohammed said: “I am overwhelmed by this event organized in honour of my late father. It has made me to recognise that we should not always think of ourselves but of our neighbours. My father was a very unusual man”.

  • Honour for Abiola is boost for democracy – Oshiomhole

    A former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has described the post-humous award for the proclaimed winner of the June 12 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, as a boost for the nation’s democracy.

    Comrade Oshiomhole who is an aspirant for the National chairmanship position of the All Progressive Congress said democracy day was not the day people hand over power to their successors.

    In a press statement issued in Bénin City, Oshiomhole said the decision to immortalize Abiola is what many Nigerians have yearned for.

    According to the statement, “I am glad with the decision of the President especially by declaring June 12 as Democracy day because the real democracy is not the day that people hand over power to their successors but the day to celebrate heroes of our democracy such as Chief Abiola and Gani Fawehinmi.

    Read Also: APC should not be for all comers – Oshiomhole

    “It was as a result of the struggle by Gani and Abiola that some persons came to benefit as leaders later on. That is why I commend Mr President for this great wisdom; this is the best way to honour those that labour for this democracy.

    “We know some leaders who even though they came from the same zone with Abiola and Gani were resolute in ensuring that June 12 was not declared as a day we celebrate our democracy. These men are known for their struggle for a better Nigerian and the blood of those who fought and died for this democracy has been atoned for this great decision by Mr President.

    “I congratulate the families of late MKO and Gani, I congratulate APC for making this happen. This was what some of us has yearned for over the years but I am glad that God has used Mr President to achieve this and this will further strengthen our democracy and make us greater” he stated.

  • Aggrieved Edo APC leaders set to join SDP

    Nobody will leave us, Party scribe

     

    Some aggrieved leaders of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State are planning to dump the party for the Social Democratic Party.

    Majority of the aggrieved leaders are said to be from Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode, Ovia North East, Oredo and Ovia South West all in Edo South senatorial district.

    Their grouse, according to sources, include alleged abandonment by Governor Godwin Obaseki, hijacking of the party structures in their locality and not having a say no who gets what from the party.

    One of the leaders said they have been placed at the back ground in the affairs of the APC in the state.

    What further fueled their decision to leave the APC was alleged Governor Obaseki’s decision to give power to all party members and allowed party matters be handled through various organs of the party.

    An indication to the planned defection by the aggrieved APC was Monday’s announcement of a chieftain of the APC in Uhunmwode and former Political Adviser to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Charles Idahosa, to suspend further participation in all APC activities in the state.

    Idahosa in a statement issued to journalists said he was not dumping the APC but needed to take a break “in order to carry out a deeper surgical analysis from a detached point of view”.

    He stated that the great relief and comfort in his decision ‘rest in the fact that human beings may betray you but your heart cannot betray you’.

    Idahosa noted that the facts that informed the actions of the Edo APC in recent times were strange to me and that he has struggled to come to terms with those facts and the consequential actions of the party.

    Read Also: Edo set to seal $500m Vehicle Assembly Plant

    He said, “Given the present state of affairs, I have decided to suspend active political partisan participation in the state. I believe the period will afford me the opportunity to seek an enlightened perspective of the issues, consult widely for clarifications where need be and take more informed position on the politics of Edo state.

    “For every decision, there are consequences and possibilities. Yet, when a dog begins to bark at its owner, the dog owner should strut around in caution. That is the sobering epiphany of the present time.

    “I am a proud and happy man with independent mind of my own. Resistance against curtailments of rights and oppressive tendencies is my second nature. God forbid that I should keep quiet in the face of a charade and injustice perpetuated with savage impunity.”

    State Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, said the party would discuss with identified aggrieved members and resolved the issues

    Okah who denied speculations that Governor Obaseki’s visit to Uhunmwode local government at the weekend was to spite Idahosa said the party would receive defectors rather than people leaving the party.

    He also said the just concluded APC congress in the state was the best across the country.

    His words, “We will meet with Idahosa and find out what the issues are and resolved them. The more the merrier. People can be annoyed but the ability to resolve them is what matters.

    “We know what they are talking about. We will work on it. We will have more people joining us and not anybody leaving us.

    “What the Governor went to Uhunmwode for was development. He felt Uhunmwode was neglected by previous government and he want to ensure as a Governor the people feel the impact of his administration.

    “He asked each Ward in Uhunmwode to have Uhunmwode Development Unit for the purpose of identifying areas of need.

    “Our state congress was one of the best. We did consultation and negotiation. There was no congress at all. That was why there was no feasible crisis. We negotiate. We made it in a way that one leader cannot have all positions. We set a bench mark that each unit must have a representatives. What that implies is that a leader in Unit one cannot determine what will happen in another Unit.”

  • Why Edo APC congresses were peaceful – Deputy Governor

    Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, has said that the state had peaceful Ward congresses because former Governor Adams Oshiomhole returned democracy to the people.

     

    Shaibu who spoke to reporter in Benin City members of the APC had been imbibed with the spirit of carrying out consultations before going into any contest.

     

    The deputy Governor said the journey to the conduct of peaceful congresses started in 2008 when Oshiomhole took over governance in the state. 

     

    According to him, “Oshiomhole was able to take the party to a level where everything became organized and peaceful and where respect was observed across the state. 

    Read Also: Police nab suspected attackers of Edo journalist

     “Democracy was returned to the people and the party members understand that u don’t do things without consultation with the people. The idea of relating with the people and let the people make their input is what we have consolidated and it was shown in the congresses. 

     

    “Everybody has to make input and if you say you want to go into full Congress; people have to come out to contest. If you want to go into consensus, it means all stakeholders must agree on one person. That ability must be seen to be free without any bias. That is what we have done.”

     

    He said the APC will win the governorship in Ekiti State.

  • Lagos APC has no preferred candidate for national chairman, says Olusi

    The Lagos State Chapter of the APC said on Wednesday that it had no preferred candidate for the party’s national chairmanship position.

    A member of the chapter’s Elder’s Forum, Mr Tajudeen Olusi, made the statement in an interview with the newsmen in Lagos.

    He said the chapter had not settled for anyone yet, pointing out however, that the chapter was watching developments keenly before taking a position.

    Olusi said that leadership quality, ability to unite the party, among other qualities were what the chapter would be looking at in supporting a candidate during the national convention of the party, slated for June.

    “We don’t have a chairmanship candidate yet. We are studying the whole scenario carefully. We will take a position at the appropriate time.

    “However, we will support only the best candidate. A candidate who will unite the party and galvanise it to greater heights.

    “A candidate with the right leadership qualities to solve challenges and give everyone a sense of belonging. That is the kind of candidate we will back, “he said.

    On speculations that a former governor of Edo, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, was being tacitly supported by the chapter for chairman, Olusi gave no definite response.

    “On that, when we get to the bridge, we shall know how to cross it,” the party chieftain stated.

    He said that the party was stepping up arrangements to hold ward, council and state congresses, assuring that the exercise would be free and fair.

    Read Also: APC lifts 260 indigent members

    The National Working Committee of the APC had fixed the national convention of the party for June after back-pedaling on tenure elongation for all its executives.

    The decision to allow congresses, followed appeals by President Muhammadu Buhari, who had described the extension as a breach of the party’s constitution.

    Oshiomhole, who is also a former labour leader, was recently endorsed by the South South zone of the party for the chairmanship position.

    The incumbent, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who is from the same state as Oshiomhole has not made any pronouncement on whether he would be seeking re-election.

    Apart from the two men, who have been in public glare, no other prominent member of the party has indicated interest in the chairmanship race.

    NAN

  • May Day: Obaseki to pensioners: You will not wear black next year

    Aggrieved pensioners in Edo State and Governor Godwin Obaseki on Tuesday engaged in exchange of words over payment of pensions and gratuity.

    The pensioners who wore black to the May Day rally held at the Sports Complex of the University of Benin interrupted Governor Obaseki’s speech as he made effort to explain efforts he had made to settle pension arrears.

    They became more peeved when Governor Obaseki told them to stop collecting money from the opposition party to fight his administration.

    Governor Obaseki informed the pensioners that the opposition party was responsible for their plight because pension and gratuity were not paid as far back as 1997.

    Obaseki said he has instructed the local government councils of to pay all outstanding pensions and salary before the end of the year by releasing the sum of N1.5bn from the Paris Club Refund.

    He noted that by next year, all local government employees would be converted to the contributory pension scheme.

    According to him, “I am not happy that some people are wearing black. I promise you will not wear black next year.

    “My predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had an option to pay only those that retired in his time but he went back to start paying pension from 1997. I made a promise and I will keep my promise.

    “We stand by the truth and we are not afraid particularly by those who destroyed this state. Stop taking money from the opposition to hurt yourself. Our commitment is to make our retirees comfortable.

    “I have increased the money for settlement of pensions to N200m monthly from the initial N100m. We have commenced payment of pension and gratuity arrears as far back as the year 2000. So far, we have paid batches 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41.  As we resolve a few lingering problems, other Batches will be paid though I must note that resources are limited.  We have meetings with retirees every two weeks and we have an open line of communication to avoid misunderstandings.

    Speaking on other issues, Governor Obaseki said he would soon unveil the Edo State Civil Service Training Institute for the training of civil servants and make them relevant to his developmental goals.

    Obaseki said he had not sacked any worker but has reabsorbed retrained and reassigned workers from the moribund Edo Line and Edo Courier Service.

    “Our industrialisation process is designed to create jobs for our teeming youths among other goals.  Hence, projects such as the Edo Industrial Park, Benin River Port, Modular Refinery, upgrade of Benin Airport with Cargo Terminal, the new Shopping malls and many others will provide more jobs for our people.

    “Similarly, with our Edo Jobs programme that has trained about 34,200 persons to become self-reliant or recruited into jobs through our synergy with the private sector, it has become clear that one of the major problems in the past has been the lack of post-graduation preparation for the labour.”

    In his speech, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Emmanuel Ademokun urged Governor Obaseki to employ people into the State Public Service tô address depleting workforce in the state.

  • Oshiomhole’s endorsement childish – Oyegun

    The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Tuesday hit back at South south zonal leadership and Stakeholders who met in Benin on Monday.

    The meeting reportedly endorsed former Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as their preferred candidate for the chairmanship position of the party.

    Oyegun told newsmen in his office at the party national secretariat that voting for the leadership of the party is not done at the state or zonal level, but at the national convention.

    However, he added that they have the right to do whatever they want to do.

    The APC national chairman, whose candidacy was also rejected by his state chapter chapter of party, said he was not surprised, saying “they have reason for doing what they have done.”

    “Don’t forget one of those who want my job is from there and is the immediate last governor. He was instrumental to installing the present governor in the state.”

    Oyegun, who would not state categorically whether or not he will be seeking reelection as National Chairman of the party, said consultation on the issue of whether he will be contesting or not has been concluded, adding that whatever choice he makes will be made known once the Convention committee comes out with its guidelines.

    His brief interaction with newsmen goes thus:

    We heard that you are seeking re-election as the National Chairman

    Well, I’m going to know when the convention committee announces their programmes. Then when I’m going to buy a form. That is if I will re-contest, I will let you know.

    Do we take it to mean that you are still consulting?

    The consultation I think is concluded .

    What is your reaction to the endorsement of Oshiomhole by the south south leaders?

    Childish, absolutely childish. The voting is done at the convention and not in state houses, not in government houses.

    What do you make out of what transpired in the Edo state chapter of the party?

    They have their reasons for what they did and you have to respect their own reasons, however wrong it is. Don’t bother about this teaser, I will give a comprehensive interview to speak with you people when the time comes.

    Does the level of opposition from your state bother you?

    No, it doesn’t because one of those who want my job is from Edo and he was the immediate past governor and he was very instrumental in installing the present governor. I think it is a case of rub my back, I rub your back that is playing out.

     

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