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Tag: Gershom Bassey

  • PDP Senator calls on party to disqualify opponent from Senatorial race

    The representative of Cross River South Senatorial District in the senate, Mr Gershom Bassey has called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disqualify another senatorial aspirant of the party from the Senatorial primary elections, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, from the race for allegedly instigating violence.

    On Wednesday, Senator Bassey escaped being lynched at a hotel in Calabar, as supporters suspected to be loyal to Okon booed and threw sachet water at him as security agents tried to escort him to his car

    They had descended on his car as they could not reach him and the back screen of the Prado jeep was smashed as he was hurried out of the hotel premises for safety.

    Commenting on the incident, Bassey said after the attack he sustained some injury trying to dodge stones aimed through his shattered back screen.

    “Violence must not stand, Ekpo should be disqualified, we cannot tolerate violence in this election. First of all why was Ekpo standing the election when he was disqualified by the election panel? It was only at the last minute that his name entered through whatever dubious means. Why was he in that election when all the people that were disqualified with him were disqualified? 21 of them were disqualified for various reasons ranging from tax, forgery, resignation and others. So why was he contesting that election, but be that as it may, having become contestants must he now become a violent contestant?” Bassey said.

    However, Ntufam Okon, a former chairman of PDP debunked allegations that Senator Bassey was attacked on Wednesday by his supporters.

    Speaking to reporters in Calabar on the events that transpired at the said hotel, he said, “We were holding meeting with the chairman of the Primary Committee, Col. Ahmed Usman in his hotel room when Gershom Bassey entered and started attacking me.  The O.C. SARS was there as well as the Area Commander and the DPO State Housing”

    Read Also: Police attack: Nobody can cow us, says PDP

    “I was still with the chairman when he went out and I later learnt he was attacked for conniving with a member of the committee to hijack materials meant for the primaries.  That was why the primary election did not hold”.

    Okon wandered how Gershom would have been attacked to the extent of being injured when he had heavy security operatives around him and described the allegation that his supporters attacked Gershom Bassey as false.

    “All those who gathered at the stadium and eventually moved over to Transcorp hotel were members of the party who were delegates to the primary. They were frustrated that Gershom Bassey hijacked the materials which may have accounted for their reaction.  But he has security details and I don’t think he was wounded,” Okon said.

  • Akpabio still a member of the PDP – Senator

    The Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Gershom Bassey, Tuesday said Senator Godswill Akpabio, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was still a PDP member on the floor of the hallowed chambers.

    Speaking with reporters in Calabar Tuesday, Senator Bassey however stated that the defection issue of the former Akwa Ibom governor was not a big deal.

    Read Also:To declare my seat vacant, Saraki’s must be declared vacant, says Akpabio

    He said, “He has not defected on the floor of the Senate. His defection is outside the Senate. For now he has not crossed carpet in the Senate. So he has done nothing illegal or wrong for now. In the Senate he is still in the PDP. We have not seen his letter. The letter has not been read on the floor and his seat is still in the PDP fold. So as far as we know he is still a PDP man. Until he tells us in the chambers then we would cross that bridge.”

    Also commenting on issues about the reconvening of the National Assembly, Bassey said there was never an official notice to that effect.

    “The media may have gotten ahead of itself in announcing the reconvening because there was no official notice to that effect. Normally when the National Assembly reconvenes it is the clerk of the NASS that sends out the notice. That is the rightful person. I am sure there was no such information from his office. So I think that the media having listened to a press conference by I think by one of the House of Reps men. But if you listen carefully to that press conference he didn’t say anything definite but I think the media just took it that it was definite. There was no plan and there has never been any plan to reconvene. What they did after the meeting of the leadership last week was that they were going to consider it. There was no commitment towards any particular date for reconvening,” he said.

    He also condemned the recent taking over the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Services.

    “I have condemned the invasion of the NASS. It is absolutely unacceptable. It is a coup against our democracy and that is the way we see it. I have called for a comprehensive independent enquiry into the incident. We have to get to the root of it. It is not enough to fire the DSS boss. I have seen the DSS man as a highly professional person. Anytime he has come to the NASS he has always been extremely professional in his presentations. So I don’t think that man would just wake up on his own and acts like that. Someone must have given him instructions. So we need to get to the bottom of it. Or he was misled, one of the two, but we have to get to the bottom of it,” the Senator said.

  • ‘Akpabio still a member of PDP’

    The Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Gershom Bassey, on Tuesday said Senator Godswill Akpabio, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in an elaborate ceremony in Akwa Ibom State, was still a PDP member on the floor of the hallowed chambers.

    Speaking with reporters in Calabar today, Senator Bassey however stated that the defection issue of the former Akwa Ibom governor was not a big deal.

    He said, “He has not defected on the floor of the Senate. His defection is outside the Senate. For now he has not carpet crossed in the Senate. So he has done nothing illegal or wrong for now. In the Senate he is still in the PDP. We have not seen his letter. He letter has not been read on the floor and his seat is still in the PDP fold. So as far as we know he is still a PDP man. Until he tells us in the chambers then we would cross that bridge.”

    Also commenting on issues about the the reconvening of the National Assembly, Bassey said there was never an official notice to that effect.

    “The news media may have gotten ahead of itself in announcing and reconvening because there was no official notice to that effect. Normally when the National Assembly reconvenes it is the clerk of the NASS that sends out the notice. That is the rightful person. I am sure there was no such information from his office. So I think that the media having listened to a press conference by I think by one of the House of Reps men. But if you listen carefully to that press conference he didn’t say anything definite but I think the media just took it that it was definite. There was no plan and there has never been any plan to reconvene. What they did after the meeting of the leadership last week was that they were going to consider it. There was no commitment towards any particular date for reconvening,” he said.

    He also condemned the recent taking over the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Services.

    “I have condemned the invasion of the NASS. It is absolutely unacceptable. It is a coup against our democracy and that is the way we see it. I have called for a comprehensive independent enquiry into the incident. We have to get to the root of it. It is not enough to fire the DSS boss. I have seen the DSS man as a highly professional person. Anytime he has come to the NASS he has always been extremely professional in his presentations. So I don’t think that man would just wake up on his own and act like that. Someone must have given him instructions. So we need to get to the bottom of it. Or he was misled, one of the two, but we have to get to the bottom of it,” the Senator said.

  • Senate probes Kachikwu over alleged oil/ gas sector deals

    The Senate on Wednesday asked its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to investigate alleged irregularities in the oil and gas sector lease renewal.

    The upper chamber said that the oil and gas lease renewal being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu and the Department of Petroleum Resources, has led to massive loss of government revenue.

    It said that the Committee should particularly submit its findings within four weeks as well as and identify appropriate measures to correct the alleged anomalies.

    The resolution followed the consideration of a motion entitled, “Irregularities in the ongoing Oil and Gas lease renewal and massive loss of government revenue,” sponsored by Senator Omotayo Alasoadura ( Ondo Central) and co-sponsored by senators Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (Borno Central), James Manager (Delta South) and Gershom Bassey (Cross River South).

    Senator Alasoadura in his lead debate noted that the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream had since December 2017 been inundated with a plethora of petitions and complaints and had observed that there were multiplicity of irregularities surrounding the ongoing renewal of oil and gas leases being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Department of Petroleum Resources.

    The Ondo central lawmaker alleged that the Minister of State for Petroleum was “granting all manner of illegal discounts and rebates in the process of the ongoing renewal of the leases.”

    Read Also: How OPEC lifted oil sector, by Kachikwu

    He expressed worry that the action of Kachikwu was capable of short-changing the country and denying the Federation the appropriate revenue accruable from the renewal of the said leases.

    Alasoadura further said that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Department of Petroleum Resources were proceeding to renew leases of companies that had “brazenly and illegally refused to pay royalties due to government from oil and gas lifted by the said companies in contravention of extant laws.”

    He observed that “under the provision of extant laws, failure to pay royalties is a ground for revocation of leases and a legal barrier to renewal of applicable leases.”

    He noted that there was a subsisting legal framework and due process mandated by extant law for the renewal of leases that were due for renewal.

    The All Progressives Congress lawmaker accused the minister and the Department of Petroleum Resources of having “deliberately, willfully and brazenly decided to depart from the subsisting legal framework and due process mandated by extant law for the renewal of all leases.”

    The alleged irregularities being perpetrated by the minister and the Department of Petroleum Resources in the lease renewal process, he said, was capable of denying government revenue in excess of $10 billion as a result of illegal discounts and rebates in the process of lease renewal

    He also alleged that the Department of Petroleum Resources “willfully and deliberately refused to provide the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream with relevant information and data related to the ongoing lease renewal.”

    He insisted that “there was need to thoroughly investigate the ongoing lease renewal being undertaken by the Minister of State for Petroleum and the Department of Petroleum Resources, in view of the potential alarming impact this would have on government in terms of loss of revenue accruable to the federation.”

    Other senators who contributed to the motion supported the prayer that the Senate should empower the committee to investigation the allegations with a view to finding out the truth about them.

     

  • Court refuses to restrain Saraki on choice of Minority Leader

    Court refuses to restrain Saraki on choice of Minority Leader

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday refused to restrain the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and 17 others from departing from the Senate’s standing rules in the appointment of Minority Leader for the 8th National Assembly.

    Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Alaye Don Pedro (Ward 8 Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State) and Okechukwu Ibeh of Umukegwu/Umuopia in Ide Ato Local Government Area of Imo State – had, in an ex-parte motion sought to restrain Saraki and 17 members of the PDP South -South Senate Caucus from choosing the Minority Leader outside the provision of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended).

    The plaintiffs are contending that the alleged plot by some individuals to make former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godwill Akpabio (a first term Senator) the Senate’s Minority leader, was in violation of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended).

    Named with Saraki as respondents, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/602/2005 are – Akpabio, Nelson Effiong, Bassey Albert, Emmanuel Paulker, Ogola Foster, Ben Murray Bruce, John Owan Enoh, Gershom Bassey, Rose Oko, James Manager, Peter Nwaoboshi, Ighoyota Amori, Clifford Ordia, Mathew Urhoghide, George Thomson Sekibo, Olaka Nwogu and Osinachukwu Ideozu.

    Justice Kolawole in his ruling refused the plaintiffs’ prayer for “an order restraining the 2nd to 18 respondents from selecting or appointing the Minority Leader of the Senate by a procedure in breach of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended) pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

    The judge also refused their request for an “order prohibiting the 1st respondent from accepting, recognising, announcing or giving effect to the appointment of a Minority Leader of the Senate, whose appointment is in breach of Order 3(2) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended) pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

    Justice Kolawole, who noted that the plaintiffs were neither members of the Senate nor contestants for the position of Minority Leader, said he could not grant their prayers because they failed to establish the interest they sought to protect.

  • My dreams for Cross River, by Gershom Bassey

    My dreams for Cross River, by Gershom Bassey

    Gershom Bassey belongs to the troika in Cross River State that is believed to hold the ace politically. In 1998 the three came together and decided on the future of the state. The other two Donald Duke and Senator Liyel Imoke have been governors of the state. Bassey, the last man standing, is being speculated to be nursing the ambition to step in, to complete the circle. He is, however, from the same senatorial district with Duke. The expectation is that since the PDP in the state has zoned the seat to the northern part of Cross River, Bassey is automatically out. He  spoke with some journalists, Nicholas Kalu was there. Excerpts:

    YOU belong to the group called ‘the three musketeers’ in Cross River State. Talk to us about this group

     I think the three wise-men tag or the three musketeers tag is a name that evolved from the populace. It wasn’t a name that we gave ourselves. I think it is a name that a lot of our well wishers gave to us, so really I don’t know how it came about but I do know that former Governor Donald Donald, Governor Liyel Imoke and myself in the early years around 1995 and 1996 had started a lot of discussions on Cross River State and essentially we had talked about the direction we want to go as a state. I think it was from those discussions and series of meetings that we had that a lot of ideas for Cross River State came about.  Of course by that time we had no political power. We were just talking as idealistic young men and I think it was from there that God blessed our endeavours and our thinking, so he made it possible for us to achieve political power and try to implement some of those ideas that we had as young men. So talking about the whole concept of the three of us, that is really how we started.

    How did the decision for you people to come together come about?

    We have all been friends for some time. I know Donald (Duke) very well because we grew up together, attended primary school together, secondary school together and Liyel (Imoke), I knew in the University and so on. All of us had come under the tutelage of Clement Ebri who was governor of Cross River State in 1991 and Liyel contested for the senate and won, Donald was commissioner under Clement and I was one of Clement’s major political allies in 1991 when he contested for governorship. So all of us had come under the tutelage of Clement Ebri and I think that that is when we started to understand that we had similar political ideology and that was how our political friendship developed.

    And part of the resolve was that each of you will be governor of the state?

     No. we had ideas for the state on how we wanted our state to develop. As young men we thought that under the military, the state was not really going in the direction that was best for our state. It was more of a think-tank time but the quest for political power came later.

     What have the three of you been discussing about the future of Cross River State, at least recently?

    I know that I have discussed with his Excellency, the governor, I have discussed with the former governor but it’s been a few months now since the three of us sat together to discuss the future of Cross River State. But from our social interactions, we don’t have to talk too much because I think all of us are on the same page. Our aspiration for our state is very clear, we need to take our state to the next level because since 1999, successive governments, and when I say successive governments I mean Donald Duke in his first and second term, Imoke in his first and second term- successive governments have done better than previous governments and what we all want is for us to continue doing well.

    Have you heard people say that power is not likely to go up north in 2015?

    People will always speculate but we are quite serious. We don’t play selfish politics, we have always done the politics of the collective and if anybody should ask me how we have been able to continue in politics and survive to me, I think the key has been that we play the politics of collective and not politics of self. We think this is the best thing for the collective, we are not playing games, we are actually saying the truth. To me I personally think that we have said it and the proof of the pudding would be in the eating, so there is nothing we can do than to wait and see.

    Most people seem to believe that you are likely to take over from Governor Imoke?

    The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. The issues has been said, the issues has been addressed, the governor has addressed them, the PDP caucus in Cross River has addressed those issues and there is nothing else we can say except to wait and see.See what?

    We have told you that the caucus has said it; the governor has said it and I think he said it on his birthday, all these things have been said and I don’t want to keep flogging this issue. I always tell people that these rumours are going to persist until we swear in this our governor from the north.

    But why is this suspicion so strong?

    Maybe they think I am such a nice guy

    I think that there is something that might have happened which we do not know but you know. Tell us

    I don’t know anything that has happened except that we do not play the politics of self, we play the politics of the collective.

    At what point will you be willing to present yourself for elective position?

    I always said that I will do anything that the collective says I should do, provided it is in the best interest of the collective

    The governor, Senator Liyel Imoke has said severally that power is moving to the northern part of the state this time. Is that right?

    It is not the governor that said power is going to the north. It is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus and I am a member of the caucus. So, all of us said that power should go to the north or that the north should be given a chance to produce a governor. It is a collective decision. I don’t think I have declared for even the seat of councillor. Cleary, I have not declared for anything.

     So why have you decided to contest?

     I agree that there are a number of people who have come to urge me to come out and contest one position or the other; whether governorship or senate, but I have not declared. I am a complete team player and if we as a political family have said that look, let the north have a shot at this thing, then we have to stand by that collective decision.

     That means you are not contesting the governorship?

    What I am saying is that let the north have a shot at the governorship.

     There is an agreement that the north should be given the chance and you are part of that agreement?

     Please you need to hear me out .What I am saying is that we as a caucus of the PDP in the state met and decided that we should zone the governorship to the north just to give the north a sense of belonging. They should be allowed to have a shot at the governorship and I was part of that caucus that took that decision, so I stand by that decision.

    In other words, you are not going to contest the 2015 governorship election?

    No one knows what is going to happen in 2015. We don’t know. So what I can say is that definitely, I stand by the decision of the PDP caucus.

     What if somebody from the southern part of the state wants to contest, will you support the person?

     If the person is contesting from the PDP as of today, no I won’t support him. We want a candidate from the north. Definitely, as of today, I will support a candidate from the north. Not from the central and not from the south.

    What future do you see for Cross River State?

    I see a very bright future. I am confident that Cross River State will have a bright future ahead.

    Do you see someone from the northern part of Cross River becoming the governor in 2015?

    Yes, why not. They have capacity like any other part of the state so why can’t they be governor of Cross River.

    Is it also possible that someone from the southern part of the state can become governor in 2015?

    Yes, it is possible. You never know how things happen. Anything is possible. Even somebody from the Central can be governor in 2015 but I also see that we in the PDP are rooting for a governor from the north

    These your posters and stickers I have seen everywhere, where are they coming from?

    They are coming from supporters. I have played politics in this state for a long time. I am a founding member and convener of the PDP in the state and over the years, you gather people who have confidence and believe in what you have to offer and it is those people who have come out to urge me to run for one office or the other.

    Left for you alone which office would have loved to go for?

    The way we have played our politics, I am not sure that any of us has had ambition for ourselves. It is not about personal ambition, it has always been about a group ambition. That is the way we had played our politics and if the group has an ambition to be in a position to implement some ideas in Cross River State, then we now say to ourselves who is the best person to lead this change of power? In the case of 1999, it was Donald that we thought was supposed to lead the change and in 2007 we thought it was Liyel that is the best person to lead the change but it wasn’t that they themselves came and said they wanted to be governor.  No. We said come and go and be governor. That is the way we have operated as a group. Essien Ayi is a good example. We said to him come and go to the House of Representatives and even Victor Ndoma-Egba, we told him to come and go to senate so a lot of the time our family takes decisions for us.

    So when you now go back to this family and they tell you to go and contest as governor, what will be your response?

    I will say you are contradicting yourself because you have zoned it already.

    How will this family select a successor to Imoke?

    The party guidelines are clear. First of all, you must have the basic class and capacity to be governor and that involves certain things. You must have the ability to carry the three senatorial districts along. What are the positions the person has held before? Is he popular to carry the three senatorial districts along? As we all know, PDP is not the only party in this country. There are two big parties in the country now. The PDP cannot operate in isolation. We must be conscious of what the other parties are going to come up with.

    In 2015, do you agree that it is not going to be a tea-party for the PDP in Cross River State and what will you say is your own agenda for the state?

    My personal agenda for this state is for this state to be the most prosperous in Nigeria and I know that by the grace of God we are going to get there.

  • All eyes on Jeddy Agba and Gershom Bassey

    All eyes on Jeddy Agba and Gershom Bassey

    AS the people of Cross River State wait with bated breath to know the successor of Liyel Imoke as the governor of the state, all eyes are on the duo of Goddy Jeddy Agba and Chief Gershom Bassey. Reliable sources told Celeb Watch that the two rich dudes will emerge as the real contenders in the fight for Governor Imoke’s seat.

    Agba is the immediate past Manager, Sales and Marketing of Crude Oil Marketing Department of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He is the son of the paramount ruler of Obudu, the popular Cross River tourism destination. Bassey, on the other hand, was one of the biggest power brokers in the days of former governor Donald Duke. He is from the central area and functions currently as the chairman of the state water board.

    Interestingly, the alleged battle between Agba and Bassey has translated into a battle between Imoke and Duke. While Duke is rooting for power shift to Cross River North and is in full support of Agba, Imoke is said to be the main force behind Bassey. As the saying goes, only time will tell.