The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Disquiet

  • Disquiet over results’ delay

    Disquiet over results’ delay

    Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY) are not happy with the management over the delay in releasing their results. AFEEZ ADEYEMO (Mass Communication) spoke to some of them.

    There is growing discontent among students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (OFFA POLY) in Kwara State over the management’s poor handling of their results. The school resumed for another session two months ago, but at the time of this report, the results of the last one were yet to be released for students to know their standing.

    Except the graduating HND II students, who, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, were told of their results verbally, none of the returning students has seen last session’s results. This development is causing disaffection on the campus as some students have vowed not to pay their school fees until they see their results. They described their lecturers’ action as unjust.

    Some students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, lamented the development, saying it was becoming a tradition in the institution. Students expressed sadness, saying the non-release of their academic assessment was putting in tight corners because many did not know if they had carryover courses.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the development is not new. Students said several complaints were sent to the management through the Students’ Union Government (SUG), but all to no avail.

    A student said: “We are crying out to let the management understand what we are going through, so that they can consider our plights by all means and release our result. We are not happy with this situation and we do not hope to complete our programmes beyond the fixed time. But, could we achieve this without releasing our results?”

    A student, who simply gave his name as Adeola, said: “Depression is gradually setting in. The hope of some of our colleagues who wish to continue their academic career in the institution has been dashed because they did not know whether to apply for HND programme or not. Lecturers and Students’ Union leaders are not showing concern.”

    For Afeez Temitope, a ND II Building Technology student, people suffer not because of the tyranny of the wicked, but because of the silence of the good people. Afeez faulted the SUG for its silence, wondering if the union leaders were elected by students.

    Rukayat Olasinde, a ND II Computer Engineering student, said management should have no problem uploading the results on the school website to allay the fear of students.

    Joseph Adeyemi, a graduating student of Marketing, wondered when things would get better in the school. “Delaying students’ results for long is abnormal and it is a threat to students’ academic pursuit. Students’ Union should be alive with its task and intervene on behalf of students,” he said.

    Another graduating Mass Communication student, Solomon Ayorinde, said: “I was admitted under poor academic condition, which the management said would be corrected. This issue of delay of result has been the main challenge contributing setback to students. It is high time management considered students’ plight. There must be improvement.”

    Reacting, the SUG Vice President (Academics), Obafemi Oyeniyi, said the union was engaging the management on the matter, adding that the students’ leaders had met with the management on number of period to bring the situation back to normal.

    Obafemi, who was quoting members of the academic affairs in the school, said the problem may have been caused by disagreement between the management and the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

    He said: “After the polytechnic backed out of ASUP strike, it was discovered that some students’ examination materials were not submitted to the appropriate quarters, especially those returning from the industrial training. Some of them did not have any remark on their log books; some has misplaced theirs while some submitted to the wrong offices for approval. The office that is in charge of judging results is still rejecting results from some departments because of wrong approval. Therefore, these offices are still giving all the affected department chances to cross check their students’ materials properly before forwarding it for judgment.”

    Obafemi assured students that their results would be released soon, while cautioning them against using violence to make their opinion known. This, he said, would make the bad situation to be worst.

     

  • Disquiet over Okorocha’s Imo 2015 comment

    Disquiet over Okorocha’s Imo 2015 comment

    •Aide defends governor 

    The political atmosphere in Owerri, the Imo State capital, was heated up at the weekend following Governor Rochas Okorocha’s comments on the state’s ideal governorship candidate in 2015.

    Okorocha, speaking at the yearly Oru-Owerri Festival, said people with questionable character, including “419 persons” and women who beat their husbands would not be voted for.

    The governor said the would-be governor must be godly, honest and decent.

    His statement angered many aspirants who stormed out of the venue.

    A senator allegedly wept before moving out of the venue with aides and other supporters.

    Other aspirants, who earlier adorned the venue with their campaign posters, left furiously as a large part of the crowd continued to urge Okorocha on, despite spirited efforts by some hired thugs to shout him down.

    But a statement by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, warned politicians, especially governorship aspirants, to jettison intolerant attitudes that could heat up the polity.

    The statement reads: “It is unfortunate that following the exciting ovation the governor had received from the crowd and from all the corners of the venue of the event, some of the governorship aspirants in question had resorted to inciting few of their supporters around, out of envy, to begin to misbehave, while the governor was still making his emotional speech.

    “Governorship aspirants should, for goodness sake, appreciate the fact that there is a sitting governor in the state, and courtesy, even protocol demands that he should be accorded the full respect due for the Office of the Executive Governor of a state and indeed, the occupant of the office.

    “Anybody aspiring to be governor of the state, who cannot be civil or gentle enough to respect the person currently on the seat, cannot be seen as qualified and serious enough to be governor.”

    The statement noted that “the spontaneous ovation that greeted the arrival of the governor at the event and the thunderous ovation that also greeted his speech at the occasion were all the creations of the innocent large crowd. That has been the case. That was also the reason the same people didn’t want the governor to talk at the burial church service of the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.”

    Onwuemeodo said it should be the sitting governor who should be concerned about what the governorship aspirants were “saying or doing, or about the level of their popularity.”

    He expressed regret that in the case of Imo State, “the aspirants get cowed and even terrified whenever they meet Governor Okorocha at public functions.”

    He urged all the governorship aspirants to “cultivate the spirit or culture of tolerance and bear with Governor Okorocha whenever Imo people celebrate him. When you appreciate good tidings, obviously it will get to you.”

    Earlier, the paramount ruler of Owerri, Dr. Emmanuel Njemanze, said Owerri people appreciated the infrastructural facilities the administration has put in place.

    “Your Excellency, we thank you for the bridges across River Nworie, which have brought to limelight the true concept of the twin-city master plan of Owerri town, with New Owerri across the bridges. Traffic congestion even at its peak periods has been minimised. There is a comparatively free flow of traffic in and out of the state capital”.

  • Benue 2015: Disquiet as monarch prunes governorship aspirants

    Benue 2015: Disquiet as monarch prunes governorship aspirants

    The battle to succeed Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has taken a new twist following the alleged screening and selection of four governorship aspirants on the ticket of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Uja Emmanuel writes on the controversy that is trailing the purported selection which has divided the ruling party in the state.

    There is fierce battle to succeed Governor Gabriel Suswam. Within the ruling party alone, there are at least 25 governorship aspirants that have so far embarked on vigorous campaigns across the three senatorial zones to woo supporters ahead of PDP primaries.

    For the first time since the creation of Benue, from Plateau State, all the three senatorial zones (ABC), are claiming that it is their turn to rule Benue in 2015 and have presented governorship aspirants.

    In zone A, the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Mike Aondoakaa, led other aspirants like Dr. Terhemba, Ada Chenge, Peter Chieshe and Emmanuel Akem battling for what they described as “ completing the tenure of the first civilian governor of Benue State, the late Aper Aku, who was from the zone, and the administration was cut short by military coup.

    In Benue South Senatorial zone, known as zone C, the deputy governor of the State, Chief Steven Lawani, led few governorship contenders like  Mathias Oyegiya and Paul Harris Ogbole in a succession battle. They are appealing to their Tiv brothers, to allow Benue South to have a shot at Government House, Makurdi, for the first time since the creation of Benue from Plateau.

    In zone B, there is what we may describe as “a tug of war” as over 15 governorship aspirants are jostling to succeed Suswam in the ruling party alone. Out of these, eight have been described as heavy weights with political clout and so far, none of them is ready to step down for another.

    The big eight are: Minister of State for Interior, Dr. Samuel Ortom, Dr. Tivlumun Nyitse, Felix Atume, Dr. Eugene Aleigba, Hinga Biem, Alex Adum , Terhemen Tarzor, and Simon Anchaver.

    They all hail from Masev, Ihyarev and Nongon, otherwise known as MINDA group among the Tivs covering four local government areas (Makurdi, Gwer, Gwer West and Guma Local Government Areas), in Benue North-West Senatorial zone, otherwise known as zone B.

    MINDA, a group among the Tivs, is insisting they are the only political block which has not occupied the Government House in Makurdi. And they are therefore laying claim to the governorship slot, both in the ruling PDP and in the All Progressives Congress (APC). This explained why they have the highest number of governorship aspirants jostling to take over from Suswam in 2015.

    But then, PDP elders in MINDA, and MINDA Cultural Association are worried that having too many governorship aspirants may mar their chances of succeeding Suswam, especially during the PDP primaries.

    This prompted the paramount ruler of the Tiv people, Tor Tiv, Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula, who also hails from MINDA, with his Council of Chiefs to summon all the governorship aspirants from the area on the platform of the ruling PDP to his Palace in Gboko.

    Though the meeting with governorship aspirants with Tor Tiv in his Gboko Palace, may have been designed to bring unity, cohesion and to avoid acrimony and division for a common cause, it ended up dividing the aspirants the more.

    Even before the end of the palace meeting, news spread that the highly respected Tiv monarch with his council of chiefs had screened and selected only four PDP governorship aspirants out of the 15 from MINDA, to contest the primaries.

    But after that, there was denial and counter denial among the aspirants who argued that the meeting neither screened nor selected aspirants, but that it was just a meeting between a father and his sons as Tor Tiv, being the father of the Tiv people, has the right to summon any Tiv man to the palace for consultations.

    While some of the governorship aspirants denied that there was no selection, others, especially those allegedly favoured kept mute, but their supporters said there was indeed selection.

    The purported selection of preferred candidates is generating tension among PDP family. Tor Tiv has been bashed for allegedly turning his palace into PDP screening committee room.

    Nat Apir, Director of Communication and Strategy, Aliegba Governorship Campaign Organisation, described the purported endorsement as null and void. Apir stated that Tor Tiv’s schedule does not included screening of PDP aspirants and that he should strive to hold the sanctity of the Tiv traditional stool.

    The MINDA PDP Governorship Forum, under the chairmanship of Professor David Ker, dismissed the purported endorsement, saying they were in the palace of Tor Tiv, who advised them on how best to go about their campaign devoid of violence.

    “Tor Tiv only advised us to maintain peace and respect for one another during consultations as only one person would eventually emerge as governor, at no time did we subject ourselves for screening and four governorship aspirants selected and others told to step down,” said Professor Ker in a press statement he issued.

    The four governorship aspirants allegedly favoured by the Tiv Traditional Councils are: Chief Samuel Ortom ( Guma), Terhemen Tarzor (Makurdi), Hinga Biem (Gwer) and Felix Atume ( Gwer West).

    But another governorship the aspirant, Simon Anchaver, alleged that result of the screening was manipulated as he was the one endorsed from Gwer Local Government Area, instead of his opponent.

    The account by Comrade Anchaver, who is the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is a revelation that there may have indeed been an attempt to prune down governorship aspirants on the platform of the PDP.

    The question is, does the Tor Tiv, as the traditional ruler have the power to screen and select governorship aspirants?

    Abraham Kwaghga, Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment told The Nation that as a traditional ruler and a MINDA man, Tor Tiv has the right to ensure that the zone produces the next governor.

    According to Kwaghga, what Tor Tiv did was to avoid spending money and acrimony because many of his subjects resigned from top positions like commissioners, permanent secretaries and other high positions to contest the governorship election; a development which he said does not argur well for MINDA people.

    Kwagha said if any one disregard the directive of the traditional ruler, Swem (Tiv  traditional gods) would punish him and he may never win any leadership position in Tiv land.

    Another account said since Tor Tiv hails from MINDA, it would not be politically wise for the zone to produce the next governor of Benue State and as such, Jechira, Kwande axis, led by Mike Aondoakaa, are waiting.

    The battle to succeed Suswam has just begun and in the next few months, the people of Benue State would know who gets the PDP ticket.

    But for APC, Emmanuel Jime, Akange Audu and Mike Lordye are patiently waiting to re-enact the 2011 magic wand of Ishior Chenji (game has changed) in 2015.

  • Disquiet over plot to drop Madumere as Okorocha’s running mate

    Disquiet over plot to drop Madumere as Okorocha’s running mate

    Although Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has not shown interest to seek re-election, the choice of who becomes his running mate has polarised his camp.

    Some commissioners and political appointees, headed by a top government official in the Government House, are  said to be mounting pressure on the governor to drop his deputy, Eze Madumere, as his running mate and choose from among them, as part of the conditions to support his second term bid.

    The Nation learnt that some of the names suggested by the group included that of the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Sir Jude Ejiogu, the Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Chike Okafor, the Commissioner for Internally-Generated Revenue, Nick Oparandudu, among others.

    A source at the Government House, who preferred anonymity, said the government officials,  the move against the deputy governor as a fall back plan, in case the governor decided to run.

    The source said the renewed plot against Madumere might not be unconnected with the calculation that he might likely succeed Okorocha if he pursued his presidential ambition.

    “The plot to drop the deputy governor has reached an advanced stage. Those masterminding it will visit the governor tomorrow (today) to introduce their candidate for his consideration,” the source added.

    It alleged that the same people were behind the failed attempt to impeach the deputy governor a few months after his assumption of office, but were reprimanded by the governor, who warned against any unguided ambition that could derail the administration.

    “Having failed to impeach the deputy governor or turn the governor against him, the group is doing everything to ensure that the governor does not field him as his running mate. They want him to pick somebody from their camp. Their fear is that if the deputy governor is re-elected, it may be difficult to remove him in 2019 after Okorocha may have completed his two terms.”

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said Okorocha has not decided to seek re-election despite pressure from stakeholders.

    He said: “The governor is still working on his presidential ambition and has not concluded to seek re-election. So the issue of who becomes his running mate will wait until he has made up his mind. He is not thinking in that direction now.”

  • Disquiet over Orji’s senatorial ambition

    Disquiet over Orji’s senatorial ambition

    Governor Theodore Orji’s ambition to occupy the Abia Central Senatorial District’s seat has become a critical factor in the politics of his successor as governor of Abia State in 2015, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    The failure of the Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, to declare his interest in the senatorial ticket of Abia Central Senatorial District in the 2015 general elections may currently be the source of a brewing political misunderstanding among chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

    According to party sources, the continued silence of the governor over his widely rumoured senatorial desire may have further polarised his embattled political camp which currently battles the return of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and his associates to the ruling party.

    The Nation learnt that the crux of the matter is the seeming cloud of uncertainty over the Abia Central Senatorial ticket by the refusal of the governor to state his interest or otherwise in the position.

    “Some aspirants, who had shown interest in the race, are not happy because of the inability of the governor to either make his interest public or deny it publicly. A number of them would rather prefer a situation where the governor will tell them he is interested early enough so that they may gun for some other positions. But his silence is frustrating their ambitions,” a party source said.

    Few weeks ago, posters of the governor, announcing his candidacy for the Abia Central Senatorial District  flooded major streets of the area as well as Umuahia, the state capital, carrying the inscription, “Ochendo for Senate.”

    The posters, which were sponsored by a number of political and cultural groups within and outside the state, sent jitters down the spines of some of the aspirants already jostling for the senatorial ticket.

    Presently, no fewer than four candidates had shown interest in the senatorial seat. Most of the aspirants, according to our source, were people who benefited immensely from Orji’s government. Following the appearance of the governor’s posters, some of them have stopped campaigning while a couple are said to be getting ready to give the governor a good fight during the party’s primaries.

    This would not be the first time the governor would be linked with the Abia Central Senatorial contest. Few months back, the rumour became rife that the governor and the current senator representing Abia Central in the upper chamber, Mrs. Nkechi Nwogu, may have struck a deal to swap positions.

    And as if to give fillip to the news, posters announcing the candidature of Senator Nwogu for the governorship of Abia State in 2015, and another set of posters announcing the aspiration of Governor Orji to represent Abia Central in the Senate surfaced on the streets of Umuahia and other major towns.

    But the governor’s camp, at that time, was quick in describing the posters as handiworks of unscrupulous political opponents of the PDP and a few overzealous opportunists within the party who want to embarrass the governor.

    In a press release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue, Orji’s camp put a lie to his rumoured ambition and said those circulating the political posters and handbills indicating that the governor has senatorial ambition are on their own.

    The statement read: “It has come to the knowledge of government that some people, groups and organisations have started circulating political posters and handbills ahead of 2015 elections.

    “Those involved in this act should realise that there are electoral laws and guidelines guiding political campaigns and these laws must be observed strictly.

    “It is on record that Chief T.A Orji, the governor of Abia State, has not declared his interest for any political position.

    “Hence, those who are now circulating posters/handbills and sponsoring radio announcements on this issue are doing so on their own; they don’t have the consent of the governor.

    “We wish to state that if the governor has any interest for any political position, it will be done at the appropriate time.”

    Nwogu is currently the only woman showing interest in the Abia governorship race. Unarguably a major force in Abia politics, before her election into the Senate where she is serving her second term, she contested and won election into the House of Representatives in 2003.

    Gender issue and her place of origin, which negates the new zoning formula being canvassed by some interests in the state are currently working against her governorship aspiration. But the determination with which she is pursuing her ambition gives an impression that her alleged deal with the governor might not be a lie in totality.

    “Madam wants to be governor. She is also aware of the zoning issues but she is hoping the agitation for merit will prevail over zoning agitation in the end. However, she has assured us her supporters that there is no way she will lose out of the power game.

    “She could as well re-contest her senatorial seat. But she has given that up for the governor. She will definitely not lose out totally. But for now, her eyes are on the governorship seat,” an aide of the senator said.

    To add to the worry of the aspirants gunning for the Central Senatorial District’s ticket in the state, the governor this time, had refused to come out to douse tension raised by his purported interest in the senatorial seat.

    Instead of a denial, the governor has, in the past weeks, been playing host to many interest groups and individual political harbingers coming to persuade him to run for Abia Central Senatorial seat.

    According to highly placed party source, though he confessed that he was under intense pressure to contest for the seat, the governor said he was yet to make up his mind on whether or not he would succumb to the pressure from different quarters as regards the ambition to represent his people at the Senate.

    “The governor is yet to make up his mind about what to do about the Abia Central Senatorial seat. He admitted to us recently that he is under immense pressure from his people to run. He is still thinking about it all. When he is ready, he wil come out and say if he wants to contest to go to the Senate,” our source said.

    Apart from the uncertainty his rumoured ambition seem to have cast over the battle for the senatorial ticket, another reason there is anxiety over the governor’s interest in the senatorial race come 2015 is the fear being expressed in some quarters that a personal ambition may distract Orji from ensuring he install a loyal successor.

    This fear became rife following the return of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu to the PDP and the upbeat noticed in his political activities across the state.

    For over four years following his exit from the government house in 2007, Kalu, practically withdrew from the political scene both in his home state and at the national level.

    However, the body language and utterances of Kalu in the last few months seem to suggest that he is back on the scene. Notwithstanding the fierce opposition of some major stakeholders in Abia PDP, including the governor, to Kalu’s return to PDP from the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA), which he founded shortly after he left office as governor, Kalu, sources claim, is determined to once again, put his assumed popularity to test.

    As the 2015 general election draws nearer, The Nation gathered that the former governor has been quietly resuscitating his political structures in order to challenge the incumbent, who, according to sources, is interested in installing a loyalist as governor of the state after the end of his tenure in 2015.

    There are speculations that Kalu is grooming an unnamed candidate to succeed Orji. This much he made public recently when he said 2015 will witness a change in the way and manner the state is being governed.

    Given Kalu’s political pedigree, pundits say the concern being expressed by Governor Orji’s associates over his rumoured senatorial ambition is not uncalled for as he would need all the concentration and political wittiness at his disposal to outwit the man who made him governor in 2007.

  • Budget 2013: Disquiet over N3.4b allocation to NigComSat

    There is disquiet in some government agencies over the allocation of N3.4 billion to the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) in the 2013 budget proposal, which was recently submitted to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Our correspondent learnt that top government officials are said to be concerned that an agency, which was set up to generate revenue for the government from its multi-million dollar investments in space technology, has continued to draw funding from the budget more than six years after it was incorporated as a private entity.

    It was also observed that the allocation contradicts the recommendations made by the Steve Oronsaye Committee, which looked into the ways of curbing waste in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    With specific reference to NigComSat and its ongoing battle with the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), the Oronsaye committee, in its report, advised the government to, among others, sell off its shares in NigComSat, revert all activities relating to space development to NASRDA as against NigComSat’s plan to launch its own satellite and cease budgetary allocations to NigComSat from the 2013 fiscal year.

    While it is not clear if the government will heed the advice on shares and satellite launch, figures obtained at the Budget Office showed that N3,431,127,753 has been set aside for the limited liability company in the 2013 budget.

    A breakdown of the figure indicates that total recurrent funding for the agency will gulp N2,089,951,419, made up of N1,962,374,065 for personnel cost and N127,577,355 as overhead cost; while N1,341,176,334 has been budgeted for the agency to cover its capital expenses.

    A source told our correspondent that the allocation and many others showed that the government might not be serious about implementing the Oronsaye report, which called for reforms in the civil service, including the pruning and scrapping of some of the MDAs.

    The source said: “Perhaps NigComSat’s case is being brought to the fore because of its running battle with the leadership of NASRDA over its plan to replicate the key functions of the satellite agency. But it does not in any way justify the allocation since the Oronsaye report has questioned why an agency which should generate billions of naira for the government should be allowed to draw full funding from the annual budget. It just doesn’t make any sense.

    “Rather than delve into other areas outside its core mandate, I believe NigComSat should focus on the core mandates, which include carrying out business in respect of satellite-to-satellite services, telephony, television, HDTV, DTH, teleprocessing, tele-presence, tele-education, tele-medicine, among others.

    “You may say N3.4 billion is nothing compared to what has been traced to other agencies. But that will be missing the point. It’s on record that NigComSat has drawn over N8 billion as funding from the Federal Government since it came on board. The question is, how much has it generated for the same government or on its own so that it can be self-sustaining? This is what the Oronsaye report on NigComSat tries to address and this is what the government is, in some ways, trying to jeopardise by allocating money to it in the 2013 budget. We are concerned and we have made this known at the right quarters.”

  • Disquiet in Senate over FERMA projects

    There was unease in the Senate yesterday about an alleged lopsidedness in siting of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) projects.

    It was during the consideration of the report of the Committee on Works as part of the screening of Nnoli J. Nnaji (Southeast) for appointment as a member of FERMA’s Governing Board.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayogu Eze (Enugu North), who presented the report, urged the Senate to consider and approve the committee’s recommendation and confirm Nnaji:

    But before he allowed comments, Senate President David Mark urged Eze to ensure that the Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi-Otukpo-Obolla Afor-Enugu road was rehabilitated before the end of the year.

    Eze assured the senators that the road would be fixed immediately after the rains.

    But Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom Northeast) was unhappy.

    He said the road in question “cannot be done because it is not in the 2012 budget.”

    Enang said: “I want to say that the request from the chair for the road to be built cannot be done because it is not in the 2012 budget.”

    According to him, FERMA budget “started almost in one state and ended in one state.”

    He went on: “I’m sorry that I have to raise this on the floor of the Senate.

    “I saw the advertisement that was done by FERMA for roads that are in their budget, it was published in five newspapers.

    “That road you are talking about is not there. The roads start mostly in the Southeast and was concentrated in Enugu State .

    “I’m sorry to say this and that should not be done in the Senate.

    “I am here representing Akwa Ibom State. I am from South South. I am saying this from what is on the record.

    “I am therefore praying that we should stop the budget of FERMA and bring it. Let the money be shared zone by zone.

    “ Let Enugu State alone not take the money that belongs to the entire country.

    Other Senators shouted at him but he was not done yet.

    Enang said no one should be allowed to write the budget for the entire country.

    He added: “Mr. President I want us to even dissolve FERMA because it is not doing what it is supposed to do.

    “One person alone has the opportunity to write in the budget, he diverts everything to his village and starves the entire country.

    “This is not the purpose of Federal Character. Even the village of the Senate President is not there.”