Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar returned to the country on Sunday morning from a trip to Dubai.
In a tweet, Atiku said he was subjected to an intimidating search by security agents.
“I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.
“I am committed to building a Nigeria where no citizen is intimidated by agents of state who are paid to protect them,” he said in the tweet
THE proposed N30,000 minimum wage seems to have become a campaign issue ahead of next year’s election.
To the Presidency, the controversy over President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on what the least paid worker should earn is “concocted”.
It accused yesterday some political actors, including the Atiku Media Office, of trying to score cheap political goals, warning that “stiff judgment awaits them at the polls”.
Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina was reacting to comments by the Atiku Media Office, which said “President Buhari cannot be trusted to implement the ‘new’ minimum wage of N30, 000’’ recommended by the Pepple tripartite committee”.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said: “Buhari may not have the political will to implement the new wage’’.
Adesina said: “Those who have latched onto the concocted controversy to play cheap politics, we appeal to them to remember that elections are not won through loquaciousness, and trying to demean the President at every drop of a hat.
“But then, it is not surprising, as they have nothing else to sell to Nigerians, if they don’t ride on the name of the President. Stiff judgment awaits them at the polls.’’
The presidential aide frowned at the recurring reports alleging that Buhari had reneged on an earlier acceptance of the N30,000 recommended as the new National Minimum Wage by the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
He noted that these reports were contrary to what transpired on Tuesday when the committee presented its report to the President.
Adesina said the President, while acknowledging the concerns raised by government on affordability and labour’s focus on meaningful increase, stated clearly in a speech, which was made available to the media, that:
“In a way, both arguments are valid. I want to assure you all that we will immediately put in place the necessary machinery that will close out these open areas.
“Our plan is to transmit an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for passage within the shortest possible time. I am fully committed to having a new National Minimum Wage Act in the very near future.
“As the Executive Arm commences its review of your submission, we will continue to engage you all in closing any open areas presented in this report. I, therefore, would like to ask for your patience and understanding in the coming weeks.”
Adesina observed: “From the above, and throughout the report-submission ceremony, the President never mentioned any figure. What he committed himself to was a new minimum wage, and only after the Report of the committee has been reviewed by the executive and legislative processes of government and an appropriate bill presented to him for assent.
“Until the proposed minimum wage has gone through the whole gamut of law-making, President Buhari, who is a stickler for due process, will not be caught in this unnecessary web of controversy, which amounts to putting the cart before the horse and hair-splitting.’’
But an Atiku group insisted yesterday that an Atiku Abubakat presidency would usher in a new beginning for growth.
The New Nation with Atiku (NNB) noted that under the present circumstance, the former Vice President stood out as the best chance to take the country to the Promise Land.
Briefing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the group’s Director General, Adesina Abolade and National Coordinator, Blessing Braide, said they were prepared to canvass for votes for Atiku once the ban on political campaign is lifted.
Braide criticised the economy, saying that is where Atiku comes in.
“He is coming to write his name in gold and to touch lives. What he and his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo were not able to do, he has seen all the lapses and he is the only person among those contesting that has a blueprint and fully ready.
“So we have to rally round to support him as he has what it takes. We are ready to mobilise the youth and the old in all parts of the country to vote for the man that is fit for the job,” he said.
He also stressed that the group is not a apolitical and does not belong to any political party, “But we are close to what is happening and that is why we have come together to say that we will support the vision of Atiku …”
“ If Atiku is looking for power and somebody who is not looking for power might not know how to mange power if you give him power. But this man says that I know how to do it. He has establishment in this country that has employed our youth and if all the wealthy men have done the same, lots of our children would have been employed.”
Also yesterday, a firm owned by Atiku said it had approved N33,000 as minimum wage for its employees.
Managing Director of Yola –based Gotel Communications, Mohammed El-Yakub, in a statement said: “The N33,000 new salary scale, which takes effect from November 2018, includes domestic servant and all categories of workers on the former vice-president’s payroll,” El-Yakub said.
Rather than subside, the row over the minimum wage keeps growing.
President Muhammadu Buhari explained yesterday his position on what the least paid worker should earn.
The Ms Ama Pepple committee set up to resolve the matter recommended N30,000.
The President said he was “fully committed to having a new National minimum Wage Act in the very near future” when the committee’s report was presented to him on Tuesday.
This was interpreted in the media to mean that Buhari planned to recommend N30,000 to the National Assembly.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar hailed the N30,000 recommendation.
But yesterday, the Federal Government clarified Buhari’s position on the matter.
The President will study the recommendation of the tripartite wage review committee before making government’s position known, it said.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, Information, Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed said what was presented to the President was a recommendation which he promised to study and get back to the committee.
But Atiku insisted that Buhari “must keep his word.”
Labour suspended its planned nationwide strike after the tripartite committee agreed to recommend N30, 000.
Ms. Pepple told the President that after extensive deliberations, the committee was recommending N30, 000, which Labour described as a compromised figure
President Buhari promised to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly on the recommendation as soon as possible for consideration and approval, but he was silent on whether he endorsed the N30, 000 new wage.
Asked to clarify the government’s position on the issue, Mohammed said the President will study the recommendation and get back to the committee.
“I think it was a recommendation. Mr. President will consider it and will make his views known in due course,” the minister said.
Pressed for more comments, he added: “I said a recommendation was submitted. Mr. President will get back to the committee after he has studied the recommendation.”
On the possibility of reviewing the revenue sharing formula should the new minimum wage be approved to enable the states to pay, the minister said: “Once again, like I said, a recommendation has been made and in responding to the recommendation, all these views will be taken into consideration.”
A presidential source, who preferred not to be named, said the President had not endorsed N30, 000 as proposed by the committee and as being reported by some sections of the media.
The source, however, confirmed that President Buhari expressed commitment to ensuring the implementation of a new National Minimum Wage.
It said: “But the President’s speech at the event was immediately made available to the media and nowhere indicated that the President endorsed N30, 000 minimum wage.
“It is not the duty of the President only to endorse a new national minimum wage. The process involves the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the National Economic Council (NEC) and the National Assembly.
“It is imperative for us to always avoid misinterpreting a written speech.’’
President Buhari had pledged that the Federal Government would soon transmit an Executive Bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time.
He said: “Our plan is to transmit the Executive bill to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time.
“I am fully committed to having a new National Minimum Wage Act in the very near future.’’
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar commended the Federal Government for agreeing to pay N30,000 minimum wage negotiated with labour leaders .
Abubakar made the commendation in a statement by his Presidential Campaign Organisation.
He described Nigerian workers as the “goose that lay the golden egg” and was worthy of the best pay that Nigeria could afford.
Abubakar restated his commitment to a living wage as one of the pillars of his soon-to-be-launched policy document on making workers’ welfare a priority.
He commended the patriotism displayed by the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and other labour affiliates in suspending the planned nationwide strike.
The former Vice President also called on the National Assembly to speedily pass legislation that would make the new minimum wage a statutory requirement.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to keep promise and abide by the new minimum wage agreement.
“No sacrifice is too great to make for us to get Nigeria working again and that is what the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation is all about.
“Abubakar means jobs, jobs that would pay the minimum wage and above because Nigeria should benefit the masses and not those who are in top government positions.”
The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has described the promise made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Alh. Atiku Abubakar to crash the pump price of petrol from N145 to N90, if elected into power as a 419 desire.
It said the pledge has shown ignorance of basic economics by Atiku.
The party took swipes at PDP in a statement by Oby 2019 Press Office, which was signed by the party’s national chairman, Gani Galadima.
It said: “Today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reminded us of why both they and the APC are one of the same, fielding a single candidate. In a PDP statement this morning, the party promised to “crash fuel pump price to N90.”
“This is 419, and it betrays the PDP candidate’s ignorance of how Basic Economics and the solutions Nigeria truly needs.
“The country ended 2018 with N4trillion of Fiscal Deficit. Where will they find money to slash fuel price? Even if FG had such money, is it because they want another round of Subsidy-Slush Fund that they want to take the country deeper into the corrupted and market distorting fuel price fixing method?
“The Obiageli Ezekwesili For President 2019 campaign is all for market determined pricing which will end up more favorable to the Poor who have been and continue bearing the effect of corrupted subsidy regimes more while the rich enjoy the benefits.
“This is a reminder to Nigerians that Abubakar Atiku’s so-called and questionable business acumen does not qualify him to run this economy. Obiageli Ezekwesili is the only candidate in the race who has built and rebuilt national economies in Nigeria and outside, with a track record to show for it.”
In a separate statement Ezekwesili said Nigerians should be alarmed by the CBN-acknowledgment of the drop in foreign direct investments (FDI) and closure of two global bank offices – HSBC and UBS – in Nigeria.
She said the decline in FDI is a pointer to the weakening investor confidence in Nigeria’s macroeconomic policies and commitment to key structural reforms.
The statement added: “The latest decline in the on FDI numbers ($1.7billion in the first half of 2017 compared to $1.2billion in 2018) signifies the weak confidence of foreign investors in the macroeconomic policies and commitment to key structural reforms in power, oil, gas and minerals sector of the administration.
“The country faces a fiscal crisis. It scarcely has the capacity to fund Capex out of revenues other than through borrowing. Problem is that debts (local and foreign) have risen, taking up with it, debt servicing which is now 69 per cent of revenue,” Ezekwesili stated.
“And yet the #APCPDP is having a debate over WAEC certificate. WAEC certificate? Do these people understand how serious and urgent Nigeria’s crisis is now?”
“Our campaign has outlined critical steps as part of our State of Emergency on the Economy within our first 100 days in office, ensuring confidence-boosting economic policy reforms in key sectors that signal positively to the private sector.”
•APC fleecing Nigerians
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has worked out a pricing template that will immediately crash the pump price of fuel in the country if elected President in 2019.
The main opposition party accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of insensitivity by failing to do the needful in the last three years.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP raised objections to the reported increase in the official pump prices of diesel and kerosene.
According to the PDP, such increase will bring more economic pressure on an already impoverished nation, stressing that most businesses and homes across the country heavily depend on these products for sustenance.
The party said it has been in high level talks with top international players in the oil and gas industry.
The PDP said results of its engagements have shown that the appropriate pump price of fuel in the Nigerian market, under the current subsidy regime of the Buhari Presidency, should be within the borders of N87 to N90 per liter as against the N145 currently being charged.
The party said with the current price template of crude oil in the international market, the Buhari administration has no justification to keep the pump price of fuel at N145 per liter.
It blamed President Buhari for watching Nigerians groan under the weight of high fuel prices, while a cabal at the presidency loot the funds meant to subsidise the product.
The statement said, “The PDP notes that for every N145 paid for a liter of fuel, the Presidency cabal diverts a hidden N58, which Nigerians have continued to pay since the fuel price was increased from N87 to presumably subsidized cost of N145.
“Apart from failing to account for the over N1.4 trillion allegedly siphoned through sleazy oil subsidy deals, the Buhari-led Federal Government is burdened to account for the over N3.49 trillion stolen under the hidden N58 per liter of fuel on over 50 million daily domestic consumption estimated in the last three years.
“The PDP notes that had the Buhari administration heed wise counsel to be transparent in its dealings in governance and to engage more experienced hands on petroleum issues, the nation would not have been in the dire straits we face today.
“The party however urges Nigerians not to despair as its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has already worked out a blueprint that will end sleazes, ensure appropriate pricing template and free resources to guarantee availability of product on a national pricing regime”.
A cleric from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oluwatedo Mountain, Ido Ani in Ondo State, Prophet Ekundayo Emmanuel, has urged former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to consult God in his political ambition.
Emmanuel told Atiku, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2019 presidential election, to be prayerful and take his religious obligations seriously.
The clergy urged Atiku to “allow the fear of God in his dealings as he pursues” his political ambition.
The distinguished three-term senator and former governor of Yobe State has just tasted what has been the undeserved lot of our patriotic and honest politicians, who are always being “misquoted” or “quoted out of context” or “misrepresented” or “lied against”.
The culprits?
Who else but those unscrupulous fellows who hide under various shadowy nomenclatures, such as public affairs analysts, social critics, rights activists, commentators and others to lash selfless people who have chosen to serve us all, putting their personal comfort at great risk.
At the presentation of his book, “Poorlitics” in Abuja, Ibrahim was quoted as saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could lose next year’s elections in the Northeast for poor performance. “Things have not changed and many things are getting worse and the people are bitter. We should not assume that we can win, even with massive rigging,” he is reported to have said.
“The economy has gone down because of our action and inaction and we are blaming the past too much rather than solving the present problems. I am going to give a dire warning. Let the Northeast not be taken for granted that we must support APC.”
He warned that if APC failed to do the right thing, the Northeast would have no option but to vote for any of the other candidates, including Atiku Abubakar, who is from the Northeast state of Adamawa, and is flying the flag of the PDP. “I still reserve the capacity to ask my people to go our separate way,” Ibrahim threatened.
The next day’s dailies were screaming: “Buhari faces imminent defeat in Northeast”; “Buhari risks defeat…”; “Rigging won’t make APC win in 2019″ ; “We may not beat PDP even with rigging”; and more.
The senator came under attack. Understandably so. He was savaged by Buhari’s supporters as an ingrate for lampooning in public a government that, according to his traducers, has been so good to him. Some said he had been a senator thrice after being a governor twice and his wife is a minister. What else does he want?
Others, who are obviously his bitter political rivals, said: Is Bukar Ibrahim now a critic? Is he broke? Is this what losing a ticket to return to the Senate for the fourth time can do to a decent man? Isn’t this ingratitude? Is he not part of the Senate that has behaved as if it was set up to eviscerate the Executive? What is his evidence for his bleak prognosis? How objective?
These, I am glad to report, are some of the charitable views of the moderate critics of the senator’s innocent views. The others went overboard, alluding to extraneous and stale matters.
Ibrahim fought back. He said he never said all those things being ascribed to him and that he remained a Buhari man for life. Were his traducers convinced? No. Not all. In fact, they seemed to have been more energised by his denial.
Suddenly, the forgotten matter of the distinguished senator seen apparently frolicking with two women in an unnamed hotel was excavated. Nigerians love salacious stories, especially when such stories have to do with some prominent person’s perceived concupiscence or sexual infidelity. Now, they are all talking about that video, laughing and yelling excitedly. This being a family newspaper, I won’t go into the details of the short video. Neither will I talk about the various lewd remarks it generated. Definitely, not the stuff for reading at breakfast.
They called Ibrahim names. A strictly private matter conceived in the inner recess of an unknown hotel became the subject of a case before a jury; talk about the mob as a jury. They slandered him. Even those believed to be unworthy critics were eager to cast the first stone.
Why should a man who has three wives be found with two women at a time? Sexual perversion? they asked. Avarice? Where did he get the energy from? Who filmed the show? Who are these women? Are they single or married? Don’t they have shame? Are they professionals? Will Ibrahim’s wives forgive him?
The whole thing was not really clear, as in all matters involving politicians. These, at any rate, are the questions many were asking. It is, however, to be noted that Ibrahim did not lift a finger against the purveyors of the scandalous rumour. He simply dismissed it all as pure envy by a jobless lot. “These are two consenting adults; I didn’t force them. So, why the noise? Are the women complaining?” he was quoted as saying.
Needless to say, that was the end of the matter. The distraction over, the senator returned to his job – making laws for the wellbeing of the society. So much for a much misunderstood senator.
Details of the information filed at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by presidential aspirants – we have an army of them- have sparked a huge debate. Atiku, whom nobody has ever accused of lying – they say he is corrupt, without any proof whatsoever – has been fending off attacks over his income and tax returns. He says he earned N60. 2m in three years and paid N10.8m tax.
The popular thinking is that Atiku, with his famed wealth, should have earned more than N60.2m and paid more than N10.8m tax. His supporters have risen to his defence. They accuse his opponents of trying to set the taxman after the PDP candidate, force him to turn in the cash that would have gone into his campaign funds, leave him almost totally bare financially and render him vulnerable to a rout by his opponents.
Some say his personal earnings should be separated from his companies’ haul. Others insist that since he is threatening to fight corruption if voted in, he must come clean on his earnings. Otherwise, say the critics, what will he say when corruption fights back as it does nowadays? They say his American University enlists only students whose parents can shell out a fortune as fees, listing his other ventures.
Yet, there are those who think sincerely that Atiku need not bother about all this, their logic being that should he disclose his real and verifiable earnings, many of those poor people he has been helping would faint. Some sense, I dare say.
Instead of explaining the income and tax matter, Atiku’s supporters have latched onto the old issue of the President’s academic papers. Buhari insists the papers are with the military. Instead of just strolling down the road into the Defence Headquarters in Abuja to demand that the papers be released for public viewing, they say the President should be disqualified. Is INEC complaining?
Oby Ezekwesili has been threatening to win the presidential race. The candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has confounded her strategists with an open disclosure of how she would win. She says she will leverage on her being the most qualified of the scores of candidates eyeing the trophy. She describes APC and PDP as “Siamese twins of failure and destruction”.
Nobody, besides those who advise her to note that politics is different from activism and those claiming that she was part of the PDP’s rapacious years, has bothered to reply the former minister. Isn’t the co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls a serious contender who should not just be ignored?
Elizabeth Ogbaje Ochanya’s fate
Her story could melt a heart of stone. Young, healthy and full of dreams like the kid next door, she must have been looking forward to a good family life after schooling. Then fate supervened in a fatal way. Her mum died and she had to live with her cousin whose husband and son – what an evil pair – took turns to rape her. She was their sex toy for five years. Complications set in. She was hospitalised. Doctors fought valiantly to save her. No luck. She died.
Elizabeth Ogbanje Ochanya died. She was 13; just 13. An innocent child. Makurdi streets were throbbing on Tuesday with students marching to demand justice for the poor girl.
On trial are her uncle, Andrew Ogbuja, 52, a Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo teacher and his son, Victor Ogbuaja, who allegedly drugged, molested, abused and raped the JSS 2 pupil of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Gboko, Benue State.
It is still not clear why the Ogbuajas visited such savagery on a little girl they must have promised to love and adore after her mum’s death. Mental instability? Sheer wickedness? Crass impunity? Lack of values? The court will surely find out. These, after all, are allegations.
There may be many Elizabeths out there who are scared of telling their stories. They should be encouraged to talk before it is too late. May Elizabeth’s soul find with The Creator the peace she was denied here for no reason.
The National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A) has said it will back the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 election.
The Eshanekpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro-led Coalition spoke at the weekend.
According to the former pro-President Muhammadu Buhari group, the Coalition took the decision after a meeting in Ughelli, Delta State.
The coalition noted at the meeting held to consult with critical stakeholders in Niger Delta that it will “roll on” with Atiku, who is the “flying star” that can disloge Buhari from power.
It said it had adopted its operational identity: National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-militants and Youth for Atiku /Obi 2019.
This, the coaition noted would be its nomenclature under which it will partner the Aliyu Bin Abbas-led Atiku Care Foundation, (ACF), hoping to fuse into the campaign organisation if need be.
The Urhobo-born ex-militant leader said the coalition, represented by him, sealed the partnership with the former President at a weekend meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE).
He noted that the coalition will mobilise the people of Niger Delta for Atiku, announcing plans for the ‘mother of all rallies’, to make its declaration public.
Akpodoro called on well meaning sons and daughters to stand for a better and visionary leader in who the coalition has found a rescuer.
Senator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday that the party will emerge stronger from the crises arising from its primaries.
It is also his position that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar cannot defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in February’s poll.
Senator Abu Ibrahim (Katsina South), who x-rayed the crisis in some state chapters of APC, traced the cause to the burning desire of many Nigerians to secure APC’s tickets for the 2019 elections.
He noted that APC being the ruling party made it attractive to those seeking elective positions in 2019.
Ibrahim also said the crises stemmed from the “high interest and high stake” most people placed on the primary election as “the main thing” before the general election in 2019.
Ibrahim said, “The APC is a governing party. Everybody believes once you have the ticket, APC will do it for you.
“Obviously, the interests are high, the stakes are so high. Everybody wants to take APC ticket.
“Everybody wants to be APC candidate. Many people were shocked when I bought APC form and decided to opt out of the primary election. I said I will not contest again. They said, you are Mr. President’s man, you will get it. Why do you want to leave?
“Everybody believes that taking the ticket of APC is a sure way of winning election. People believe that once you have the ticket of the party your work is done.
“The primary election is the main thing, once we are through with it, every other thing will fall in line.
“It was easier for me to secure nomination when I was in opposition in Katsina State. For those who were in PDP it was difficult because then PDP was government party.
“We were only two people that bought the form while PDP had close to 10 people. So it is always like that with the governing party, the government party.
“You can see, even those of us who are not contesting, there is pressure. But our duty is to make sure that the right persons take over.”
In the Katsina South senator’s view, nobody is happy with the crises rocking the party, but he is hopeful that APC will emerge much stronger from the crisis.
He applauded the national chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, for working assiduously to institutionalize democracy in the party.
For him, anybody working to effect positive change in any system would face the kind of challenges Oshiomhole is facing in APC.
He said: “I salute the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, for putting a lot of his time to the party and for working to institutionalise democracy in the party.
“That is what he is trying to do, let democracy take root in the party. Oshiomhole wants to change the system to allow proper democracy to work in the party.
“Anybody who wants to change the system will face the kind of challenges Oshiomhole is facing. In the end, people will begin to see the benefits. It will be easier for future politicians.”
On the way out, Ibrahim said that there might be need to institute reconciliation committees at all levels to consider and reconcile issues.
He said: “Of course it is; yes I agree with you, the election is between Buhari and Atiku. Atiku is certainly not a pushover, but Atiku is not a match for Buhari in terms of political records, commitment to the nation, fighting corruption and fighting insurgency.
“Buhari formed a new political party that is moving the nation forward but Atiku has moved from all the political parties. Do you call that a leader?
“But I know the challenges are huge, I agree. All the restructuring he is talking about is a gimmick. He was a vice president in this country but he did not talk about restructuring.
“Because he has seen that the South said they want restructuring, he wants to use it. What restructuring is Atiku talking about. Bring any detailed documents where Atiku espoused the restructuring he is talking about.
“We have not seen such documents anywhere. I haven’t seen any written detailed document of Atiku on restructuring. So he is just deceiving Nigerians. We will answer him, let him start talking, he will get answers blow by blow. Let us see his plans, let him start talking, we will answer him in full dose.”
On why he opted out of the senatorial primary in his state, Ibrahim said it was his personal decision to give younger people opportunity to play their part.
He noted that withdrawing from the race was also to allow him concentrate on his commitment to ensuring President Buhari’s victory next year.
He said: “It is not that I’m tired of the Senate. I like the Senate but I have successfully done my own part.
“The world is like a stage, you play your part and allow others to play their parts. So I decided to allow the younger ones to come into the system and play their part.
“I will continue to impart my knowledge to them and allow them to play their part. I will continue to guide them and collaborate with them to continue to move our state and the country forward.”