The Nation Newspaper

Tag: APC stalwart

  • Insecurity: APC stalwart tasks Buhari to do more on intelligence in second term

    As the first tenure of Buhari-led administration is winding down in just less than three weeks, a chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Stanley Osifo, has called on the President to do more in the area of intelligence in his second term to subdue the spate of insecurity that had plunged Nigeria into a dangerous adventure in the last few years.

    Speaking with The Nation in a telephone chat in Lagos yesterday, Osifo said in  view of myriad of security challenges inherited by Buhari administration in 2015, the President has done his best and deserves commendations from Nigerians.

    The business mogul turned politician noted that the issue of security is a collective effort of every Nigerian to join hands with government to ensure a safe society.

    Osifo warned that politicisation of security issue in Nigeria is one major problem that must be condemned by all Nigerians to let the nation off hooks of various degrees of crimes that bedevilled the nation.

    The APC stalwart noted that given the reports that were issued by the military, one may not be far from truth that security challenge in Nigeria has a political undertone.

    Responding to the case of unemployment and poverty which many adjudged as factors responsible for proliferation of terrorist groups in the country, he opined that those factors should not be yardsticks to join band wagon and unleash mayhem on society.

    He urged Nigerian youths on collaborative efforts with government  to harness opportunities waiting for them in an enabling environment which Buhari-led administration has been doing its best to provide.

    He tasked the President to look beyond party line for his cabinet members in second term and get the right persons for the right positions who will reflect the uprightness he is known for across the globe.

    “The issues of security challenge has always been in the country and most time politics usually comes in to create division among Nigerians along ethnic and religious considerations. “

     

     

  • APC stalwart builds website to check fake news

    A Public Relations (PR) consultant, Lekan Fatodu, has designed a new website for the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support the party’s activities.

    At the handover of the portal to the party’s leadership, Fatodu said the website would prevent the spread of falsehood by individuals, who he said often share fake news about the party to mislead the public.

    The APC stalwart said the website was his contribution to enable the party convey its information to members and other Lagos residents.

    He said: “Being a communication expert and a committed party member, it has become a duty for me to step in to help fill a gap in the process of information dissemination from the leadership of the party in the state. And this has become expedient for many reasons.

    “Apart from the fact that this effort will help tremendously in enabling effective and timely dissemination of information to members, it will also help to mitigate the spread of falsified information by unscrupulous individuals peddling fake news to confuse party members in the state.”

    Recently, the Lagos APC leadership issued a statement which exposed a fake website asking party members to register online.

    This, Fatodu said, necessitated the building of the official website for the party to fight people spreading negative news about APC.

    He said: “This new website is designed to urgently address the activities of mischief makers and continuously serve members of APC in Lagos with relevant and up-to-date information on developments in the party.”

     

     

     

  • APC stalwart seeks peace

    A STALWART of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Chief Remi Williams, has urged the warring factions in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to sheathe their swords and embrace peace.

    Williams, who spoke during his 89th birthday in Ajegunle, Lagos, said the best birthday gift the two personalities involved in the rancour could give to him was to eschew bitterness and exhibit tolerance in their dealings.

    He appealed to the supporters to see themselves as members of one family and thus love one another.

    The birthday boy warned them against being violent so that their actions would not threaten the relative peace in Ajegunle and its environs.

    Pa Williams, who noted that in partisan politics, there could be disagreements, said the important thing was to resolve the disagreements amicably in the spirit of give and take or sportsmanship.

    He urged the state party leaders to intervene in the matter and ensure that both parties were satisfied with the outcome so the crisis won’t disturb the elections.

  • Police arrest ‘killers’ of APC stalwart in Festac

    Police arrest ‘killers’ of APC stalwart in Festac

    Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested four suspects, who allegedly murdered a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Festac, Emmanuel Ubah, alias Onwa.

    Ubah, the head of Community Policing Youth Vanguard (CPYV) in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area (LGA), was shot dead on the eve of the council elections in July.

    He was shot four times in the head. His assailants threw all his mobile phones into the canal.

    Ubah’s death sparked outrage in Amuwo Odofin, with his friends and associates insisting that it was politically motivated.

    After months of tracking the culprits, the police yesterday paraded Michael Fashola, Mufutau Tokosi, alias TK, Abidemi Adeleye, alias Baido and Fatai Onifade, alias Apashe.

    The suspects were said to have been contracted to kill Ubah but they denied the allegation, insisting that they murdered him because they felt threatened by his influence in the area.

    It was gathered that the suspects, who fled to Cotonou after allegedly committing the offence, later had a disagreement on the balance of their payment.

    They were said to have been embroiled in fights with Onifade, who was allegedly their link to the person who ordered the murder.

    Acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said a Barreta Pistol, two live ammunition and one pump action gun were recovered from them.

    Fashola said he was brought into the picture by Tokosi, who contacted him on the request of Adeleye.

    He said: “I did not know the Onwa. It was TK who contacted me. Baido asked him to call me for the deal. The initial plan was to harass Onwa but I shot him by mistake. I shot him more than once. It was on his head. Baido was inside the car with him. They told us where to meet them. I was not paid anything. I gave the gun back to Apashe after shooting him.”

    Adeleye, who called the deceased on phone around 8pm and requested for a meeting, admitted that Ubah picked him up at Synergy Bus Stop.

    He said: “I called him around 8pm and told him we needed to discuss issues relating to politics. He told me to wait at Synergy Bus Stop that he would call me in 30 minutes. I was the closest person to him. We were friends. He came and picked me up and said we should go and get Apashe (Onifade).

    “He did not know there was a plan to threaten him. It was my plan with Apashe because we felt he was too powerful. While on our way, Michael and Mufutau blocked us with motorcycle.

    “Onwa opened the car and was arguing with them. One of his legs was on the ground. I was inside the car. The next thing I heard was gunshots. It was Michael that shot him and it is not true that I held his hand while he was struggling with him.

    “When they shot him, I ran away from the car. Then, I picked his phones and threw it into the water because I was afraid. I did not want anyone to trace me as the last person he spoke to on phone.”

    Onifade, who mastermind the attack, said he was bitter because the deceased was very powerful.

    He said he was threatened by the deceased’s influence and that as the leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area, he felt that the deceased usually sponsored boys who attacked him.

    Onifade said: “We did not plan to kill him. We just wanted to shakara him. I am an OPC member and I know the number of times I have been shot at. I felt he was the one sponsoring the boys that usually attacked me.”

  • Constitution review better than restructuring, says APC stalwart

    A STALWART of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State Chief Remi William has urged those canvassing restructuring to stop their campaigns and root for constitution review as the solution to the national question.

    He said constitution review would give everyone a sense of belonging and satisfaction unlike which tend towards satisfaction a dominant group in the region. He said the United States that we copied our presidential system of government from in place of regionalism are still using their own to run their country. He however advised that we look for capable and credible hands to run the country.

    In an interview, Williams said restructuring was not the answer as it meant going years backwards in nation building. The octogenarian said: “We must move forward. The leaders who cancelled the regions have their reasons for adopting smaller structures like states.’’

    He said it would be very difficult to control the regions and get input as quickly as one could do in the states. “If you are in the states, you can easily be heard. In the regions, your opinion may not be heard because you will meet stiffer competition and opposition from others,’’ he said.

    Williams cited the late Premier of the Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola, who once told his people that they needed to work harder to match the competition from others in areas, such as getting scholarship, where they were lagging. “Because many of the premier’s people only had West African School certificates in subjects like Yoruba and Bible Knowledge (BK), the premier told them that these papers were not saleable as those from Ekiti and Ondo had better qualifications, such as BSc in Physics and Chemistry. He told them, “if you were in my shoes, who would you prefer to give scholarships?’ That is the problem with a region because it is so large,’’ he added.

    Williams said those seeking restructuring should know that it would not end with satisfying the agitators. He said those asking for Lagoon state to be carved out of Lagos or Ijebu from Ogun State would not stop as sooner than later other groups would come up with a litany of grievances and ask for their own state. ‘’Those agitators feel they are not going to be heard or be part of decision-making that is why they are crying. They also feel that they have been sidelined by the Federal Government. For them to be recognised, there would be need to do constitution amendment.’’

  • APC stalwart lauds Ambode’s leadership style

    A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress and former House of Representatives committee chairman of science and technology in the third republic, Honourable Kosoko Dele Friday has commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for his determination to transform Lagos State into megacity.

    Kosoko who described Governor Ambode as God-send, said he has no regret for supporting him before the primaries and the general election. He urged him to continue in the provision of social amenities to Lagosians and his effort on security matters is greatly appreciated.