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Tag: Ahmed Musa Ibeto

  • Creation of Kainji State will address insecurity in Niger, Kebbi – Ibeto

    Creation of Kainji State will address insecurity in Niger, Kebbi – Ibeto

    The chairman of the Steering Committee for the Movement of the Creation of Kainji State, Ambassador Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has said that the creation of the state from the current Niger and Kebbi states will address the spate of insecurity in the states.

    Ambassador Ibeto, who spoke at the zonal public hearing for the North Central zone constitutional review organised by the Senate, said their demands for the state creation is being made by three emirates—two from Niger State, which is Kontagora and Borgu, and one from Kebbi State, which is Zuru Emirate.

    He pointed out that because of the land mass, some places could not be effectively governed, and hence the increasing spate of the insecurity, stressing that if those places are partitioned to another unit in the form of a state, it would be effectively governed.

    According to him, they have all it takes to become a state, and that the land mass alone in Niger State is more than some regions and some 10 states in the country put together, adding that it could take two days to journey from one part of the state to the other via road.

    “Over time, due to the implementation of colonial administrative changes from 1902 to 1994, our places were divided. Some were placed in different provinces, and when states were created in 1976, the same division occurred.

    READ ALSO: Why I abandoned law to pursue acting – Femi Adebayo

    “Given the historical bonds of affinity, we believe that these regions should come together to demand the creation of a new state. Our brothers and sisters are supporting this cause because, as it stands, Niger State is the largest state in Nigeria by landmass—it covers 10% of the country’s total area.

    “If justice, equity, and fairness are to prevail, there is a need for Niger State to be split into additional states.

    “With a population of 3.4 million people, our demand is justified. By current standards, this population surpasses that of more than 10 states in Nigeria. In terms of land area, Niger State covers 47,395 square kilometers.

    “For comparison, one local government area in Niger is larger than the entire Southeast region of Nigeria. We believe this is a justifiable demand, and we trust the Senate will recommend the creation of a new state in line with these considerations.

    “In Niger State, you can travel for a full day or even two before reaching the farthest points. For example, traveling from Madala, which is on the edge of Suleja, to Babana, a border town with the Republic of Benin, takes two days.

  • Ekwueme dedicated his life to promoting Nigeria‘s interest, says envoy

    Ekwueme dedicated his life to promoting Nigeria‘s interest, says envoy

    Nigeria‘s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has said that former Vice President, the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, dedicated his life to promote the interest of Nigeria.

    Ibeto made the assertion in a special tribute to Ekwueme, who died on November 19 last year..

    The envoy said  the former vice president was a politician par excellence.

    “Chief Alex Ekwueme was indeed a great icon and national figure, who strived at all, times to dedicate his life to the promotion of Nigeria’s interest.

    He was a politician par excellence in deeds and character, who built his political career on integrity and selfless service to his fatherland,” he said.

    Ibeto said  as the first-elected Vice President of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983, Ekwueme brought life into the mainstream of the nation‘s politics and recorded remarkable achievements in building a prosperous Nigeria.

    “ He was such an intelligent, humane and humble man, who was full of life even at his age,” he said.

    The envoy said that the former vice president was an erudite scholar who bagged degrees in different fields such as Architecture, Urban Planning, Sociology, History, Philosophy and Law from several Universities.

    “ Such a feat can only be attained by a man with very high clout and burning passion for knowledge, like Late Alex Ekwueme, Ibeto said.

    The high commissioner said that on the international scene, Ekwueme was well recognised.

    “He was a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Elders.

    He also headed several Observer Missions on election monitoring in several African countries and was a recipient of national awards of other African countries apart from Nigeria.

    Until his demise, he was a stabilizing factor in Nigerian politics and continued to participate actively in the Nigerian project,” he said.

    The envoy said that Ekwueme was endeared to many of his admirers for his intellectual prowess, principle of one Nigeria, integrity and hard work.

    According to him, the former vice president will be remembered for his contributions to nation-building, a functional and effective governance structure for Nigeria.

    “ The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and many of his admirers will indeed miss this great national icon,” Ibeto said.

  • Mission plans census of Nigerians in South Africa

    Mission plans census of Nigerians in South Africa

    Nigeria High Commission in South Africa says the mission will carry out a comprehensive census of Nigerians living in that country for improved service delivery.

    The High Commissioner, Amb. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, said in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday that the exercise would cover the nine provinces of that country.

    “ The mission plans to have a comprehensive data of Nigerians in South Africa. We want to know their locations in each province.

    “ My intention is to have a comprehensive census of knowing the citizens of Nigeria residing in South Africa.

    “ I have made it very clear that it doesn’t matter if they have the correct papers or travel documents,” he said.

    Ibeto said that the mission’s aim was to have a data that would make it easy to know the number of Nigerians and their locations in each province.

    Read also: South Africa urged to end hostility towards Nigerians

    The envoy said that the exercise would assist the mission to know how to track the citizens and provide services to them.

    “ If we achieve that, we can provide services, we can track them, we can easily take care of their welfare. So, without this comprehensive data, there is no way we can take care of our nationals.

    “And I told them that with what I have in mind, in terms of having an interactive website, where the citizens can interact with the mission,” he said.

    Ibeto said that  Nigerians could use the website to access consular services from their locations.

    “ This will lessen expenses of traveling to Johannesburg or Pretoria for such services,” the Nigerian envoy said.

    NAN

  • Defection: My deputy ought to resign – Aliyu

    Defection: My deputy ought to resign – Aliyu

    Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, on Thursday insisted that his deputy, Musa Ibeto, should have resigned from office having defected to another party.

    Aliyu spoke with State House correspondents after meeting President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He noted that the political culture in the country has not got to the level where such political office holder who decamps to another party will be made to resign from office.

    He said: “We were elected on the same ticket and morally if you decide to cut away from that ticket, it will mean you should resign, but our political culture has not developed to that level.

    “I hope we will reach a situation that the society will demand that we voted you under this party, no matter the difficulties, three months to election, you decide to decamp.

    “We are competing now, at least in competition and you sit down and listen to everything and you carry to the other side.”

    On whether he walked Ibeto out of a meeting as reported in the media, he said: “I didn’t walk him out of the meeting, we said how does he resolve this morality matter and he said to me, excuse me while the council will decide on the matter.

    “Secondly, on the 18th of February, I was already planning on the 19th of February to leave for Saudi Arabia when I saw his letter on my table, saying he was going on leave that same day and he was in Abuja attending APC meeting, I assume he was going and there is nothing legally or technically that prevents me from giving the Speaker the nod to take over as acting governor. Nothing has been abused.”

    He said that since 2007, he has never travelled outside the country without first writing to the President and the State Assembly to inform them that his deputy will act for him.

  • ‘Deputy governor’s office uninhabitable’

    A move to evict Niger State Deputy Governor Ahmed Musa Ibeto from his office in the Government House, Minna, failed yesterday, as the new office was found to be uninhabitable.

    An aide in the deputy governor’s office said:

    “The relocation order is nothing but politics. Why did they not relocate the protocol staff or others.

    Efforts to get the deputy governor to comment were unsuccessful.

  • Court stops Niger deputy governor’s impeachment

    A Minna High Court on Wednesday stopped the impeachment of Niger State deputy governor, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, pending the hearing and the determination of motion on the matter.

    The court also restrained the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Barr. Adamu Usman, from disallowing Hon. Muhammed Nazir Abdullahi , a member representing Rijau Constituency from functioning as member.

    The two orders were granted separately by the court presided over by Justice Aliyu Mayaki.

    The trial judge had granted the six prayers of the deputy governor as contained in the motion paper.

    The court also granted an order restraining the respondents from tampering, violating, withdrawing the right and privileges of the deputy governors’ office pending the hearing and determination of motion brought before it.

    The Assembly and the clerk of the House were also restrained from conducting any proceeding in the chambers of the assembly aimed at impeaching the plaintiff from his position as the duly elected deputy governor of the state.

    The court also ordered that Ibeto should not be obstructed from discharging his function as the deputy governor of the state and alternatively ordered that all parties in the suit brought before the court should maintain status quo ante bellum.

     

  • Niger governor bars deputy from council meeting

    Despite repeated promises by Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State to accord his deputy, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), his rights and privileges, the governor on Wednesday barred Ibeto from attending the state executive council meeting.

    The governor had in his opening remarks at the weekly council meeting at the Government House, Minna, said he will not preside over the meeting with his deputy on seat, accusing Ibeto of calling him a thief in one of the APC campaign rallies in the state.

    But a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Israel Ebije, said the deputy governor sought for permission to stay away from the meeting on moral ground.

    Ebije said Ibeto told the council that unless on very sensitive state matters, it would not be morally right for him to be in council when political matters, especially ones that concerned the Peoples Democratic Party are being discussed.

    Ibeto faulted the government statement, describing it as total falsehood which does not represent the true picture of what had transpired at the council.

    The deputy governor said he got wind of the grand plan to send him out of the weekly state executive council meeting, adding that the governor has decided not to have anything to do with him at the council again.

    Ibeto said, “It is not true that I excused myself. When I received notification for the council meeting on Wednesday I went as usual. But before the council started, the governor in his opening remarks said that people and members of the executive council were aware that I have decamped from the PDP to APC and that we had gone on campaign round the state.

    “He (governor) said he has the information and clips that I called him a thief and that he will not preside over the council where I am sitting.

    “I objected and explained that I have never called him a thief and that everywhere we went, people always wanted to know why I defected to APC and I have been telling them I left PDP because of the injustice in the party.”

     

  • Defection: I won’t deny my deputy his rights – Aliyu

    Defection: I won’t deny my deputy his rights – Aliyu

    Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, said despite the defection of his deputy, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), he remains the deputy governor of the state.

    He also said that Ibeto’s rights and privileges would not be infringed on.‬

    Ibeto and over 300 officer s of the state on Monday dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC and attended the presidential rally of the party‘s flag bearer for next month’s election, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    The deputy governor hinged his defection on irreconcilable differences and the refusal of the national leadership of the party to address the anomalies that characterized the governorship primaries won by the former Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Umar Nasko.

    Aliyu spoke shortly after he collected his Permanent Voters Card (PVC) at the Tunga Primary School, Tunga, Minna, on Tuesday.

    The governor said his deputy reserves the rights to determine who and what groups he wants to join, adding that his defection does not make any difference.

    “Everybody has the right to decide which group to belong to. He is a deputy governor, he will continue to enjoy all rights and privileges due to his office,” the governor told journalists.

     

  • Niger deputy governor, 200 others move to APC

    The deputy governor of Niger State, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, and over 200 officials in the state left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress on Monday.

    He announced his defection to journalists at the Minna International Airport where he will receive the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, for the latter’s campaign in the state.

    Ibeto told journalists who gathered in his house as early as 8:30am that he along with over 200 leaders from the PDP had decamped to APC because of the injustice and irreconcilable differences with his former party.

    “You (reporters) are all witnesses to the charade that characterised the PDP governorship primary. We filed our objection to the primary up to the national level of the party with the hope for justice, but up till now nothing is done and we feel we should go to where we can find justice and fairness.

    “Over 200 people comprising serving and former members of National Assembly, state Assembly, former commissioners, former local government chairmen and party leaders across the 25 local government areas of the state are today crossing with me to the APC.

    “We have decided to list only those who are currently holding positions at local, state and national levels. All our supporters will automatically go with us and you will see all of them at Gen. Muhammdu Buhari’s rally today (Monday).

    “I am going to APC rally, but now I am going to the airport to welcome our leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who is Niger State today for campaign.”

     

  • 10 Niger exco members may resign

    10 Niger exco members may resign

    Political appointees in Niger State nursing any political ambition have till month end to resign.

    It was gathered that Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu at last week’s executive council meeting drew the attention of the appointees to the Electoral Act, which stipulates that any political appointee interested in contesting must resign six months before election.

    A source at the meeting said the governor told interested appointees to prepare their handover note on or before April 25 and handover to the most senior officer in their ministry, department or agency.

    The source said Aliyu had planned to dissolve the exco but for the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan for the North Central unity rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)..

    The source said: “The directive was not the governor’s making; he only drew the attention of the exco members to the provisions of the Electoral Act as a law abiding leader.

    “It will also help him know how to run his administration, which ends next year.”

    Aside from Deputy Governor Ahmed Musa Ibeto, who is exempted by the law, six commissioners may likely resign.

    Commissioner for Works Mu’azu Bawa is eyeing the governorship seat. Commissioner for Local Government Yusuf Tagwai; Commissioner for Economic Planning Yahaya Dansalau and Commissioner for Fishery and Livestock Yahaya Vatsa will viefor seats in the House of Representatives.

    Others include the Secretary to the State Government, Idris Ndako Kpaki, the Head of Service, Abbas Bello, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Joshua Bawa and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Saba Mohammed.

    It was gathered that these four principal officers are eyeing the National Assembly seats of their constituencies.

    Two women- Commissioner for Water Resources Hadiza Abdullahi and her Gender Affairs counterpart, Hassana Adamu- may also resign.

    Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary Danladi Ndayebo could not be reached for comments.