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Tag: APC

  • Progressive governors to tackle unemployment

    Progressive governors to tackle unemployment

    The commissioners in charge of Budget and Planning in the 16 states governed by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), have moved towards formulating policies, which would tackle unemployment.

    The commissioners, who converged on Abeokuta, Ogun State, for the PGF’s Policy Design Session on Unemployment, identified lack of accurate data and viable plans, among others, as causes of rising rate of unemployment and agreed on the need to deal with the scourge.

    Speaking on the causes identified by the participants, the Director-General of PGF, Dr. Saliu Lukman, said unemployment is the number one problem, which must be tackled.

    He reiterated the commitment of the progressive governors to find a solution to the problem and said the technical session of the meeting would look at the issues and how they manifest, with a view to generating recommendations.

    Lukman said: “Beyond the theories, which the session seeks to look at, we will go down to the states to get the people’s view and balance this with the theories, to form proposals to be presented to the governors. When they are adopted, they become policies for the 16 states controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    Delivering the Governance Lecture, the Chief Executive Officer, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba, said governments must do all within their powers to ameliorate the situation, adding that “neglecting this fact will render other policies unworkable.”

    He frowned at the non-availability of accurate data outside which he said no meaningful planning could be achieved. “In the absence of an accurate unemployment figure by the government at the centre, any project by organs is speculative. Therefore, we must strive to ensure availability of accurate data to help the states proffer workable policies,” Teriba added.

     

     

  • Comment

    For Olatunji Dare

    The conference is a sham and all Nigerians know it. Many of the delegates are part of the cabal that ruined our nation. Only the African Union or United Nations can organise a true conference for Nigeria or a revolution will convene one very soon. From Sam Abba. Dekina, Kogi

    Please, give me All Progressives Party (APC)’s slot! Alhaji Lai Mohammed has told the Federal Government to wait till eternity, if it is waiting for APC to fill its slot at the National Conference. This means APC’s slot is going to be permanently vacant, till the end of the conference. Permit me to use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to nominate me, so I can fill APC’s slot. I am making this call as a good and patrotic Nigerian, desirous to serve my fatherland – devoid of partisan interest. Thank you. From Chukwuma Dioka. Owerri, Imo State.

    The National Conference put together by President Goodluck Jonathan is a way forward for the nation now that leaders with integrity are in place. Yes, many of such have come and gone but this one is an exception. It’s time of sharing great ideas to reshape, restructure and transform Nigeria for the better. My prayer for the president is God’s wisdom to lead the people, and apply all useful ideas contributed for national dialogue. Conference chairman Justice ldris Kutigi is an elder statesman. With this conference, we are heading for the path of transformation. Support Dr Goodluck Jonathan, support national conferences. Thank you. Livingstõne Awoudu. Bukuma (agum).

    Re-”Preface to the National Conference.” The objective of this conference, if it has any direction, is to disorganise the system by a president who sees the need for power but lack the intuitiveness and insight on how to seek political authority from the citizens through democratic channel. From Haruna Ibrahim, Benin City.

    Apart from G.G.Darah, the list of delegates to the National Conference is a grandiloquent canonisation of political exclusivity and oppression calculated to gag the Urhobo nation by Uduaghan, Jonathan and their man Fridays. This dangerous political script must be condemned. So, Urhobo, the fifth largest in Nigeria and largest ethnic nationality in Delta, with qualified traditional rulers and protean professionals and others, couldn’t produce conference delegates? The political castration for 2015 is ongoing and wither goeth Urhobo? We must ‘RISE’ against this political apocalypse. From Bobson Gbinije, Warri.

    Your concise analysis of the preface to the National Conference captures what the outcome of the waste the president has become known for. My only regret is that the president is from an area that needs real answers to the national questions most. He has forgotten his yesterday and prefers to throw the future of children to the dogs. Anonymous

    Dare, Iseanjuna Vancouver is in Canada not Australia! Congrats for your column. From Prof.Tam.David West.

    Does this president know the difference between governance and politics? How will he combine insecurity, corruption, preparing for election and the National Conference. Every decision he takes is always about politics instead of governance. From Hamza Ozi Monoh Apapa Lagos.

    The confab and the jamboree, it is high time our leaders stopped deceiving us because we are not fools as they think. The national confab is a political campaign for the presidency come 2015. I may not be an adult but I know what is going on in this country Nigeria. From Stanley Anyamara, Umuaka, Imo State

    Re-”Preface to the National Conference.” Whatever the thoughts of people on cohesiveness, coincidences or/and insecurity in some locations are, they can be discussed. Let us give the dialogue a trial since majority favoured its emergence! From Lanre Oseni.

     

    For Tunji Adegboyega

    Re: “United against Nigerians.” Irrespective of Jonathan’s deficiencies in governing Nigerians, I am most disappointed in the APC finance commissioners joining in the fuel subsidy removal coup against the masses they have been selling ‘Change’ to. What is the change? As for the finance commissioners’ comments, Nigerians have answer to that. Nigerians are awaiting the usual pronouncement. Immediately it would be denounced and shall be instantly retracted! I don’t give fuel price hike a five per cent chance of success. No cause for worry. From Lanre Oseni.

    I feel there is nothing Nigerians can do over the self-centred and never-do-well leadership than to pray to God to give us good leaders in 2015, that would have the fear of God to deliver good governance and have the plight of the citizens at heart. We are the laughing stock in the international community, against the backdrop of how corruption has taken the centre-stage of governance rather than fighting the menace. Who are the people behind the subsidy? From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia.

    You should know by now that the only time these people disagree is when anyone among them out-steals the other. Make no mistake, the welfare and well-being of the masses of this country are the last thing on their minds and the least of their considerations. When the rich impoverishes the poor that the poor has nothing to eat, then the rich becomes the only thing left on the poor man’s menu list. From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso.

    Nigerians should not allow this visionless government to put the country on sale. Imagine, Nigeria is on fire and some unscrupulous elements are calling for subsidy removal and the president sits down in Abuja, pretending that all is well. The last fever of subsidy removal has not been cured and he wants to add another pain, again. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos.

    Dear sir, your worry is not unfounded. If the representatives of governors can undo what Nigerians have resolved to enjoy, then wait and witness the modern battle of Waterloo. I am convinced that the masses shall win. If they dislike democratic tenets, the mass of our people would help them kill democracy. This democracy shall be tested to know if it resides with the people or Judases. From Akin Malaolu.

  • Fayemi picks APC nomination form today

    Fayemi picks APC nomination form today

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi will pick up today the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) governorship nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

    He will be accompanied by Ekiti APC leaders, members of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation and National Assembly members from the state.

    Fayemi will return to Ado-Ekiti, via the Akure Airport in Ondo State.

    He would be received at the Akure airport by party faithful, who will lead him to the APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, where he will inform the party of his interest in the June 21 governorship poll.

    On Sunday, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated for the beginning of campaigns, the governor will inaugurate his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti. This will mark the beginning of his campaign for re-election.

    On March 27, Fayemi will hold a campaign rally at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti.

  • APC: Roadmap for welfare state

    APC: Roadmap for welfare state

    Since 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in power. But, the challenges of development have persisted. Can the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), fix Nigeria in 2015? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the party’s manifesto, which makes it a credible alternative platform.

    For 14 years, the country has been at crossroads. The challenges are overwhelming. The poor economy has led to an illusion of hope. The failed budgets have exposed imprudent management. The atmosphere of insecurity is not investment-driven. The energy crisis has led to a high cost of production and crippled the manufacturing sector. Bad roads are death traps. The rot in the aviation sector, soaring unemployment and corruption are the nation’s albatross. Who will fix the crumbling edifice in 2015?

    The all Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to provide answers to these puzzles last week in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when it unveiled its manifestos. The 10-point road map, in its leaders’ view, may herald a welfarist state. There is a signal that the ideological culture of the old is about to be re-invented. The highlights of the manifestos include the creation of 20,000 jobs per state, free and qualitative education, better housing plan, improved funding for agriculture, independence for anti-corruption agencies and security. Others are social security for the poor, technological driven industrial estates, allowances for ex-corps members for 12 months and war against corruption.

    To political watchers, the die is cast between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition platform, the APC. The prelude to the battle is the contest of ideas. Many Nigerians have hailed the party’s plans, but, the PDP frowned at it, dismissing it as unrealistic. Its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, described it as a road map to anarchy, adding that it will lead to doom.

    The APC Interim Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that, ahead of the next general elections, the party would approach voters with the road map. He said that the manifestos would halt the cries of despondency, when it is implemented, unlike the Federal Government’s transformation agenda, which has become a disaster, owing to faulty implementation. Mohammed, who described the road map as the outcome of the national need assessment, stressed: “We commissioned a survey on what is wrong with Nigeria; what exactly Nigerians need. unemployment, corruption and insecurity are the major problems confronting Nigeria today. So, the road map is a result of what Nigerians need. He added: “What we have done today is to show that there is a big difference between the PDP and the APC. We are after a new Nigeria. This is a new Nigeria we are creating in which the people will be the beginning and the end of all developmental programmes”.

    Already, some of these manifestos are being implemented in some APC states. In Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi is implementing a novel social security scheme for the vulnerable aged people. Beneficiaries have acknowledged the programme, which they described as life-prolonging. In Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola is fighting the infrastructure battle. The state has the highest number of towns in the country. Across these towns, roads are being constructed and rehabilitated. In fact, in his first one hundred days in office, the governor created 20, 000 jobs. the provision of employment may have reduced crime in the state. In Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has delivered on his promise to provide affordable housing within the context of the current economic realities. Many road projects are on-going. The light rail project is on course. The state is a huge construction site.

    In Rivers State, the resources of the state are judiciously deployed to developmental projects. The governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has built new schools, rehabilitated many schools, and commissioned new roads. There is no sector that is not touched by the governor, despite the concerted efforts made by his detractors to divert his attention from state business. In Zamfara State, Governor Yari has revolutionalised agriculture and turned it into an income yielding venture. In Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is building on the legacies of former Governor Bukola Saraki. In Oyo State, the urban renewal efforts of Governor Abiola Ajimobi has given Ibadannand other towns a face lift. Even, members of the PDP in Ogun State have applauded the giant strides of the Amosun Administration. In Kano State, Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso has run an accountable government. The dividends of democracy are felt at the grassroots.

    The next stage, said the APC Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, is their replication at the federal level, if the party wins the presidential election. Other leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, and the 16 APC governors also believe that they are achievable goals. Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, who spoke at the presentation of the road map, submitted that it is not a rhetoric, but a blue-print for change. He said, through its effective implementation, the party will restore national dignity.

    His Yobe counterpart, Ibrahim Geidam, berated the PDP for its failure to revive the power sector and reduce insecurity. He said, instead, the party has promoted arrogance of power, impunity and corruption. But, the Yobe governor assured that hope is not lost, if the people vote wisely in the next year’s election. “The legacy of any government is to make its country stronger and better. In the power sector, there was a drop of 924 megawatts of power in 2013 and since then, it has continued to drop. In the last six months, the National Economic Council has not met. Today, there is insecurity in the country, especially in the Northeast. The only solution to the problem of insecurity is the swearing in of an APC government in 2015”, he added.

    The manifestos, according to analysts, underscores the party’s vision for a brighter future. It also reveals strategic planning. Although the party has not revealed its implementation strategies fully, the performance of their governors gives an assurance that there will be good governance, if there is power shift in 2015.

    A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, lauded the priority given to employment in the road map. He observed that the country has been sitting on a keg of gun powder, judging by the number of jobless graduates. He said that there is a link between unemployment and crime, which government has ignored to the country’s peril. “National conference cannot solve unemployment. The solution is a concrete plan aimed at reviving the power sector and revatalising the manufacturing sub-sector”, he said.

    According to the road map, the creation of 20,000 jobs has implications. The scope is the secondary school leavers, who are to savour technological and vocational training. However, Ayodele said that, there is also the need to tackle under-unemployment. “When graduates now sell recharge cards on the road or when they become road sweepers, that is not employment that can serve as reward for tertiary education. If there is stable power supply, many youths will be able to become creative and productive through sheer handwork, deployment of talents to creative endeavours”, Ayodele added.

    Many stakeholders have applauded the determination of the APC to rid Nigeria of corruption. In the manifestos, the party proposed stiff penalty for graft. This include forfeiture and seizure of assets and inexplicable wealth, reinvigoration of the legal system to prevent delays in corruption trials, a guarantee for the independence of the anti-corruption agencies, and transparent government transactions.

    Since the setting up of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the PDP government has claimed that the anti-corruption battle was on course. The evidence on ground has contradicted this claim. Graft has dented the image of the country in the comity of nation. Last month, the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, chided President Goodluck Jonathan for condoning corruption. It is an understatement. According to critics, the alleged missing N20 billion oil money is a pointed to the monumental fraud being committed daily by power barons.

    To wipe out corruption, a chieftain of the APC, Mr. Isiaka Adekunle-Ibrahim, said that party leaders should develop the commitment, will and capacity to confront the challenge. He said that public office and money are too tempting, adding that the party should build a culture of discipline and self-control. “The APC government at the centre will only be able to fight corruption, if the leaders live by example. The state governors are doing that already. The money they have as governors are not even enough to implement their developmental projects. So, they can’t afford to embezzle them. If the anti-corruption posture of the governors is carried over to Abuja, then, there will be hope. If the APC President is not corrupt, he will not appoint corrupt ministers. If the leader is clean and he has the ability to insist on probity, all will be well”, Adekunle-Ibrahim added.

    APC’s panacea to insecurity has been public knowledge before the release of the road map. In the past, the APC governors had visited Maiduguri, the Bornu State capital, to give solidarity to their colleague, Ibrahim Kashim, and assess the situation on ground. Many Nigerians believe that the Federal Government has failed to halt terrorism, in spite of the huge money committed to the anti-terror war. Not only have commercial activities been put on hold, many have deserted their towns and villages, owing to the onslaught by the dreadful Boko Haram sect.

    Apart from the menace of Boko Haram, kidnapping is also thriving in other parts of the country. Youths also engage in cyber crime. Others engage in ritual killings. In the Southsouth, militancy has not stopped, despite the amnesty programmes, which gulped a huge sum of money from the federal purse.

    In the APC’s reckoning, peace and security are fundamental to Nigeria’s social and economic wellbeing. It believes that every Nigerian should be safe and free to work in any part of the country, regardless of tribe, ethnicity or religious beliefs. One of the measures canvassed by the party is the restoration of true federalism. If this is done, the party believes that states will have their local police forces that can address the special needs of each community. Therefore, community policing will not be ruled out as it will engender trust in the members of the community that would be served by he peculiar arrangement.

    APC also has good plans for education, the resolution of the ethno-religious conflicts, peaceful co-existence, national healing and girl-child education.

    However, to translate these dreams into reality, the party have some hurdles to cross. The choice of its presidential flag bearer and running mate is a challenge. Before the selection process, its leadership structures have to be firmly established as a properly constituted national congress. The congresses at the wards, local governments and states will herald the national convention.

    Adekunle-Ibrahim said that “eyes are on this great party as it forges ahead to the next election”, adding that party leaders will need to give concessions and build consensus on many issues of importance for the party to survive the onslaught of the ruling party and the Federal Government. The watchword is unity.

    “The APC registration was successful in most parts of the country. The party could have done better in some states. Party management is challenging. There is public goodwill and solidarity, but the party must manage its achievements,” he added.

    Another party member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, advised the party leadership to promote the culture of reconciliation and crisis resolution. “This can be done by opening the channels of communication and avenues for ventilation of grievances”, he advised.

     

     

     

  • ‘Amosun has set new standards in Ogun’

    ‘Amosun has set new standards in Ogun’

    Special Assistant on Media to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State Soyombo Opeyemi spoke with reporters in Abeokuta, the state capital, on the achievements of the governor and other plans for the state.

    Insecurity was a major issue in Ogun State. How was your government able to contain the situation?

    Section 14, Sub–section 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Amosun has fulfilled this all-important provision. A woman was recounting the other day how restrictive life was in the state, especially between 2008 and 2011. You dared not remain in your shop till 8 p.m. Often, by 6 p.m, most shops in Abeokuta would have closed for the day.

    The state was awash with gun-toting youths, who commanded shop-owners to surrender their money or life. Some public officials were even alleged to have kept guns in their lockers. The governor himself escaped death by a hair’s breadth. Others were not that lucky to escape the furry of the machete-wielding men, the then lords of Ogun State. Gradually, banks and other financial institutions began to close business as a result of insecurity, with attendant losses to the economy of the state.

    Amosun had to deploy scarce resources to purchase state-of-the-art Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), the first of such latest technology in Nigeria. Hundreds of security vans fitted with modern communication gadgets were purchased and law enforcement officers were equipped and motivated. The tranquillity in Ogun State today bears eloquent testimony to the outstanding success of the Amosun Administration in this regard.

    Functionaries of the previous PDP government have alleged that the roads been constructed now cost more than what they did before…

    I think comparing the current administration with the previous one is like comparing light with darkness. Amosun is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Nigeria with wide experience in auditing. Prudent management of finance is his forte. Unknown to these noisemakers, the aides, for instance, under the current government, earn one-third of what their counterparts earned under the last administration. Not only that, the few of them that live in government houses. The same holds for commissioners, special advisers, etc. You recall that the state lost about N30 billion in the Bureau of Lands under the former government. Today, the culture of e-payment is taking root in the state and loopholes are being blocked. The era of financial haemorrhage has become a thing of the past.

    But, the past administration claimed that it constructed good roads…

    That administration claimed that Sagamu-Abeokuta road was its prime project. That road was plastered and re-plastered many times under the same government that constructed it. That highway remains a shame to the state capital and Ogun State. It was the same fate that befell the few roads constructed by that administration. In most instances, those roads collapsed within two years. And that government built no bridges.

    Did you say the previous government did not build bridges?

    Yes, the former government built no bridges, not even one bridge, despite being headed by an engineer. But today, go to Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta, and Ota, and you will be shocked by the massive bridges being constructed by an accountant. Why will the people of Ijebu Ode, for instance, not support the Amosun Administration when the Mabolufon bridge is about to end the carnage on that junction and close down the slaughter centre permanently? Why will the people of Yewa South, Yewa North, Ipokia and Imeko Afon not sing praises of Amosun when he is the one constructing the 107 kilometre modern highway cutting across the four local councils?

    Again, why should it be Amosun that should begin the construction of the economically-strategic 32km road from Sango to Ojodu? Even, in Sagamu, the abode of the man himself, it is Amosun that is constructing the first international standard road, Express/RSS Junction-Oba Erinwole Road, and building the first flyover bridge. In less than three years, the current government has done far more than what the previous government did in eight years.

    How about the cost of these projects?

    I have equally heard the noise of the opposition about the cost of the roads being constructed. The best of the roads by the former governor, the 1km Oke Ilewo road, is semi-modern because it lacks the features of an international standard road such as 2.4km Ibara-Totoro road and other modern highways under construction across the state by the current governor. Even the Madojutimi-Mudal Lawal Stadium road, a ‘community road’ , has a better pedestrian walkway than that 1km Oke Ilewo road. The former governor’s road has no clearly-defined sidewalk. It lacks storm drains for rainfall. It has no green, well-defined median; no speed breaker and modern bus-stop. So, why will the current international standard motorways not cost more? Have you ever passed through Abiola Way, another modern road? The bulldozers confront rocks, yes, mini Olumo rocks, every metre! Will such a highway not cost more to construct? What about the compensation paid to owners of demolished buildings? Is that not part of the cost of the road? Well, lack of elementary economics, you would say.

    Critics say your road projects are concentrated in towns and cities,and that you are ignoring the rural areas…

    It is sheer fallacy. Have these arm-chair critics been to Ilara, Egua, Oja Odan, Tombolo, Tata and Ijoun? The longest road being constructed by the Amosun administration is located in those out-of-the-way areas, 107 kilometres in all. And this is not just a feeder road, the typical face-me-I-face-you road or just give-them-something piece of a motorway but a 107kilometres international standard road, complete with modern features such as drainage, pedestrian walkway, well-defined median, bus stop, etc. The Ilara-Ijoun highway cuts across many villages in four local councils in Ogun West senatorial district. During an inspection visit to Ilara, as reported ion the papers on February 11, 2013, Senator Amosun, the governor of Ogun State, said: “You need good roads to get your farm produce to the markets within and outside your local council and state. Everybody needs excellent road network to save productive time, reduce stress, accident and other losses associated with bad or lack of access roads.”The newspapers reported further that “The people of Ilara in the neighbouring Benin Republic, who trooped out in large numbers to receive the governor, expressed gratitude to the Senator Amosun-led government for ending their distress. The governor made stop-over visits to communities along the 100km highway and exchanged pleasantries with residents.”What does this extract from the Nigerian Tribune reveal about Governor Amosun’s cast of mind? Clearly, this is a governor that is very much at home with his people, especially the grassroots. Again, these revisionists chose to ignore the 400 kilometres of rural roads which the state government graded and made motorable for the benefit of the people.

    Critics also said that the debt profile of the state is in the region of 200 billion…

    That’s a comprehensive falsehood. You see, this is the antics of mischief-makers and the aim is to deceive the public and detract the government so that rather than focus on the ground-breaking achievements of the Amosun administration, the public space will be invaded with sterile debates on imaginary debts.

    If, for instance, you award a road contract of one hundred million (N100m) and you mobilise the contractor with fifteen million (N15m), and at the period of assessment, the contractor has only done ten percent (10 per cent) of the job, does it make sense for anyone to claim you are owing the contractor eighty five million (N85m)? Does it make any sense for anyone to cry on radio and television that you are owing N85m when the job done is even less than 15 per cent? Did they go to school at all?

     

  • ‘Tinubu is taking after Awo’

    ‘Tinubu is taking after Awo’

    Mrs Agnes Adeola Roy retired from the Federal Civil Service in 2007, after 23 years. Now a lawyer, she is aspiring to represent Ekiti Senatorial Central District under the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with JOSEPH ESHANOKPE, she explains why she is running.

    Governor Kayode Fayemi is going for a second term. Considering the opposition from other camps, do you think he will make it?

    Governor Kayode Fayemi has tried in Ekiti State. His is what can be described in legal terms as res ipsa loquitor (which means the fact speaks for itself). On roads, he has done so much. He is the first governor to pay the aged social security allowance. Though it is small, it goes a long way in helping the beneficiaries. He has reformed the civil service, appointing technocrats and bureaucrats in right places. All the hospitals are well funded and have drugs, unlike before. He built maternity centres in all the local governments. His government is gender-friendly. He has more women in his team than previous governors. He has eradicated discrimination, which undermined women development. His administration is the first to domesticate the Freedom of Information Law, and it respects the rule of law. It is also the first to pass the gender-based violence law. Based on these, I think he will make it.

    What about the National Leader of your party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

    What the people did not allow Awo to do, Tinubu is doing it. He is a visionary leader and detribalised. Under Asiwaju, we had Ibo as commissioners in Lagos. It has not happened in other states. He is a man of the people; very honest. Since the time of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), he’s been fighting for democracy. My wish is that God will continue to protect Tinubu, the Jagaban of Africa.

    Why did you choose the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

    My parents and I have always been progressives. My dad was an Awoist. My elder brother was an ardent believer of the late Pa Awo to the extent that he made an album and titled it: “Dedicated to Chief Awolowo, the Asiwaju of Yorubaland.” So, we have always belonged to the progressives’ camp.

    Let me tell you a story. My dad was a prophet and a Bishop. He used to move from street to street preaching. One day, he told people that there should be no election and that they should hand over power to Awo, if they wanted peace in the land. Many people, including his children, laughed at him. Was he not right? You can see what is happening. I believe that in a country, God always sends a messiah. He sent Mandela to South Africa, to stop apartheid. Awo was supposed to be our messiah, but they never allowed him to be. That is why we are in this mess. So, from UPN, AD, AC, ACN to APC, we have always been there.

    Why are you vying for the Senate?

    Since I am a lawyer, I feel I will be more useful to the grassroots as a senator. I love to be at the top, so that I can help the people at the grassroots. I will support the laws that will affect them positively.

    Given that most members of the Upper House are men, do you think you can make a difference?

    I will ensure that my voice is not silent. When I believe in a cause, I don’t give up. As a Iawyer, the Senate would be a familiar terrain.

    What bills are you likely to support?

    For example, if the Senate decides that a woman should be president, I will support it. There are (were) women presidents/prime ministers in Liberia, India and others.

    That means, women-friendly bills?

    Yes.

    What other bills will you push?

    Gender equality bill, poverty alleviation bill for the masses, free education at all levels and social security bill for them too. In Britain and Libya, the masses are paid social security allowance. I will ensure that Nigerians are also paid.

    In your poster yet to be released, you listed character, representativeness and goodwill as attributes you will uphold. Can you expatiate?

    The representativeness means I will represent the masses very, very well because I started from a humble beginning and I know what it feels to be poor. I will not be cut off from the people.

    On goodwill, I have a pleasant disposition towards people, even those I have not met. And though it is not good for one to praise oneself, I know that I have a good character.

    Assess the Senate’s performance

    The senators are trying. But I believe they can do better.

    The masses?

    They are not asking for too much. All they want are good roads, food, electricity, education and water. But, as it is, they are suffering. When I see some situations, my heart bleeds.

    Advice to leaders

    Our politicians should get it right. They should not see politics as a do-or-die affair. They should have the love of the people at heart.

     

     

  • Edo lawmaker, 6,230 others join APC

    The lawmaker representing Esan Central in the House of Assembly, Victor Sabore Edoror, has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Edoror and 6,230 of his supporters dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) .

    Edoror, at a rally in Irrua, said he and his supporters joined the APC “because of the ‘intimidating development’ of the comrade governor.”

    He said: “The record is such that PDP can no longer campaign anywhere in Edo State, as it has nothing to show for its eight years in power.”

    The lawmaker vowed to deliver his constituency for APC.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole said: “Today, God has brought us together to consolidate the liberation of the people of Esan Central, Edo Central, Edo State.”

    “When I hear the PDP talk that after Oshiomhole, they will capture Edo, I ask: ‘Is Edo a goat that must be captured?’

    “In 2007 PDP stole the people’s mandate, I battled and with your support and by the grace of God, that mandate was restored.

    “The only reason I am in government is to show that PDP has been stealing and the only way to prove this is to work.

    “People ask me where the money is coming from. Simple, they have been stealing the money.

    “On April 14, last year, PDP was defeated in the 18 local governments; the source of my strength was not in empty talk but in action.

    “Our people must refuse to be deceived. We have come to stay as APC. As we speak, there are 16 APC governors.”

    He assured the people that with the coming of the defection of the lawmaker, APC will “drive other animals from the bush.”

  • APC condemns irregularities in Osun voter’s registration

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State yesterday protested to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over what it called irregularities observed in the voter’s registration exercise.

    The irregularities, including deliberate blurring of voters’ cards at Moore Ojaja in Ife Central Local Government area, according to the APC are capable of discrediting the whole process.

    The Party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, said the APC was alarmed as Ile-Ife is the base of one of the PDP governorship aspirants.

    Hundreds of prospective voters are affected by the blurring of their cards, he said.

    He asked INEC to effect changes in the affected areas.

    In a separate statement, Oyatomi accused the head of a Federal Government agency in the state of violently disrupting the voter’s registration in Ila Orangun.

    The man was alleged to have stormed Isedo Ward 05 at St Mathew School with a team of mobile police and soldiers (all in uniform), firing bullets into the air.

    After scaring prospective voters away, he and his team allegedly proceeded to destroy plastic chairs being used by INEC officials.

    The APC said that it has made several complaints about several violent incidents involving the maiming and killing of civilians including the destruction of property by the PDP since the commencement of the registration on March 12.

    It also accused the party of acting with audacious impunity and appearing to get away with it.

  • Tonye Princewill’s dilemma

    Tonye Princewill’s dilemma

    One man whose political ambition in 2015 may have come under severe threat is Rivers State-born self-styled ‘Digital Politician’, Tonye Princewill. Several months ago, the candidacy of the Kalabari prince, who wants to be the governor of oil-rich Rivers State, was a strong contender for the PDP ticket.

    But things don’t appear to be looking rosy for the politician at the moment. The crisis that has pitted President Goodluck Jonathan against Governor Rotimi Amaechi in the state appears to have changed the political equation. Amaechi has left the PDP, the platform through which he actualised his governorship ambition, for the APC. Tonye, on the other hand, remains in PDP and insists that he would not leave the party for any other; even when his benefactor and mentor, Atiku Abubakar, defected, he said on his social media pages that he would remain in PDP.

    Again, indications in Rivers State at the moment are that the PDP may not looking in his direction for its flag bearer. Besides the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, there are other aspirants on the party’s platform in the state who seem to be pulling their weights more than Princewill. However, while he pledges unflinching loyalty to the PDP, he is reported to have been a major financier of the recently registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). Many believe he is positioning PDM as an alternative platform should the PDP look elsewhere for its flag bearer.

  • Saraki: APC will retain power in Kwara

    Saraki: APC will retain power in Kwara

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) is enlarging its coast in Kwara State. At the recent rally of the party in Ilorin, the state capital, the former governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, reiterated the party’s determination to retain power in the Northcentral state. ADEKUNLE JIMOH reports.

    IT was in unusual home coming for the home boy. A huge crowd of brooms waving women and men, singing and screaming.

    Senator Bukola Saraki, the former governor of Kwara State, savoured it all that sunny day in Ilorin, the state capital.

    Saraki was returning from the All Progressives Congress (APC) conference held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Few days earlier, President Goodluck Jonathan was in the state to boost the morale of dispirited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains, who were downcast, following the defection of many members from the party to the APC. Jonathan and other PDP leaders fired salvos at the APC family, predicting doom for it at the next election.

    However, the crowd that welcomed Saraki replied the missiles. They sang anti-Federal Government songs. They also reiterated their confidence in Saraki’s leadership.

    The APC faithful had thronged the Ilorin Airport as early as 8am, waiting patiently for their leader, who alighted from the aircraft around 2p.m.

    Saraki was received by his associates, including the APC chairman, Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, the secretary, Yemi Afolalyan, former PDP Chairman, Yusuf Ayedun, some commissioners and heads of boards and parastatals.

    Traditional rulers from the Ilorin Emirate also turned up to receive Saraki, whose illustrious father, the late Dr. Olusola “Oloye” Saraki, was the Waziri of the Emirate. They were led by the Emir of Ilorin’s spokesman, the Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Salihu Woru.

    Woru paid tribute to Saraki, saying that he is a good leader. He also reiterated the support of the royal family and chiefs for his political leadership.

    It was a carnival-like rally. The party train took off from the airport, rolling into major streets, including the popular Gari Alimi Roundabout and Agaka, before stopping at the palace of the Emir, Alhaji Kolapo Gambari. For almost two hours, traffic crawled on the ever – busy Ilorin-Ogbomoso Expressway.

    APC members were dancing and waving their brooms. In fact, they swarmed Saraki, who had to abandon his vehicle on the road and joined the faithful in trekking through the long Garin-Alimi road before he entered his car again. Ordinarily, it was a journey of 20 minutes. But, the crowd spent almost two hours from the airport to the palace.

    Saraki was sweating and smiling, was apparently, overwhelmed by the warm reception.

    He saluted the resilience of the crowd and their affection for the APC. He said that the development translated into the eclipse of the PDP in Kwara, adding that the opposition will be too weak to confront the APC in future elections.

    The party leader said that the huge crowd was a signal that the APC has become a party to beat. He added: ”I think it was a reaction to the PDP rally and the kind of insinuations that were being made after.

    “People just wanted to show and let Nigerians know that whatever they saw before is nothing; that this is where the structure is.

    “It was not a challenge, but a message; to say this is where the people of Kwara are, these are the people we associate with; it was really a clear message.”

    He condemned those he described as “bill board politicians.” He said they were plotting the disintegration of the state, adding that the plot will fail.

    “Today, Kwarans have shown that we have come too far to be disintegrated by nocturnal politicians, who come at the eve of election to rob us of our mandate; Kwarans have shown that, irrespective of the external aggression and gang-up to disharmonise us, we cannot be broken.

    ’’In the history of my usual periodic visit to Kwara, apparently today’s arrival was extravagantly welcoming. Kwarans came together en masse at the airport. I’m sincerely humbled, happy and confident of your support.

    “Importantly, I’m very glad to have walked the roads together on our feet from the airport down to the Emir’s palace. This is the best way I can pass the weekend with my people; truly we are united, because you all turned out voluntarily from your various homes. I’m deeply honoured.

    “Importantly, I’m very glad to have walked the roads together on our feet from the airport down to the Emir’s palace. This is the best way I can pass the weekend with my people; truly we are united, because you all turned out voluntarily from your various homes.”

    Saraki dismissed the PDP rally as “insignificant.” He said that the President failed to make any pronouncement on the Federal Government’s projects in the state, which he said, are non-existent. He said that he and his supporters had sought for refuge in the APC in a bid to be liberated from the “ineptitude” of the PDP.

    Saraki, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, also assured Kwarans of a better future. He said: ‘The Kwara of our dream is possible”. of his focus towards achieving the Kwara of our dream.

    Saraki added: ’’Let us continue to support the Kwara State government and sensitise everyone to join the change train, if they are yet to.”