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Tag: Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara

  • Yari supports ‘State of Emergency’ in Zamfara

    Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Thursday threw his weights behind the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the state.

    The governor Yari, addressing newsmen at a press briefing in Gusau, said, “I am also in support of the declaration of a state of emergency if it will save the lives of people of the state.”

    He warned politicians against politicising the disturbing security situation in the state.

    “We are talking about the lives of our people and this needs the coming together of all so that the crisis can end.

    “If the provisions of my office had allowed me to carry arms against the bandits, l would have done so.

    “But, if I am not around, there are capable hands that collaborate with the security team in the fight against the bandits.

    “The securitymen are doing their best.

    “But, it is sad to know that some of the people involved in the kidnappings are close relatives or associates of the victims, which is part of the reasons the problem is persisting.

    “We must all come together and expose anyone or group that is part of these hoodlums, and we should also pray for Allah’s intervention,” Yari said.

    Bandits had continued to elude security measures put in place by both the State and Federal Governments. (NAN)

  • Yari pledges to remain in APC in spite of crisis

    Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara has pledged not to dump All Progressives Congress (APC) in spite intense pressure from his supporters due to the crisis within the party in the state.

    The governor made his position known on Friday after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    Yari, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), said he preferred to remain with the ruling party and fight all forms of injustice than defecting to another party.

    He stated that his supporters were aggrieved over the position of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) on the conduct of the party’s primaries in the state.

    The APC National Working Committee panel sent to Zamfara for the conduct of the APC primaries had failed to organise the exercise, citing security challenges.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said the APC would not be allowed to field candidates for National Assembly, governorship and state assembly in the 2019 general elections.

    The INEC letter, which was signed by its acting Secretary, Okechukwu Ndeche, explained that its decision was hinged on the fact that the party had failed to conduct primaries for National Assembly, governorship and state assembly before the expiration of its Oct. 7 deadline.

    It said that the party had run foul of the provisions of sections 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010.

    But, Oshiomhole faulted the electoral commission, saying the APC had conducted primaries in Zamfara, as such has candidates for all elective positions during the 2019 general elections.

    Yari explained that this development had caused frustration among his supporters, adding that he had handed over the results of the primaries conducted in the state to the President at this meeting.

    The governor also warned the national leadership of the party not to present any list that did not emanate from the primaries conducted before the expiration of the deadline for the primaries in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state and his counterpart from Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun also met with President Buhari at the State House, on Friday.

    Amosun, who was also rumoured to dump APC over the outcome of the party’s primaries in Ogun, however, declined comment on the outcome of his meeting with the president.

    NAN observed that the three governors, who visited the presidential villa, namely Yari, Ganduje and Amosun, joined the president to perform the Friday’s 2-raka’at prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque. (NAN)

  • Osun governorship primaries: SSG withdraws from race

    Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the Secretary to Osun State Government (SSG), has announced his withdrawal from the primaries of All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for Friday at the party’s headquarters in Osogbo.

    Adeoti, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of APC Primaries Committee, Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara, on Friday, alleged that he was withdrawing because the primaries had been arranged to favour Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to Gov. Aregbesola.

    He also said that there was no credible register of members with which free, fair and transparent direct primaries could be conducted.

    “While I am not withdrawing from the governorship race, I have decided not to participate in the July 20, 2019 Direct Primaries of the APC in Osun State for the above stated and other reasons,’’ Adeoti said.

    Read Also:Osun Poll: APC primary election committee meets aspirants, sues for calm

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adams Oshiomole, the APC National Chairman on Monday, July 16, said the party would adopt the direct primary to pick its candidate for the Osun governorship election.

    “What that means is that every card-carrying member of our party will participate in the process of nominating the flag bearer of the party,’’ Oshiomole said.

    Although, the announcement of direct method for the primary generated reactions among the aspirants, but the Chairman of the election committee, Yari, represented by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege at a stakeholders meeting on Thursday, promised that the election would be free, fair and transparent.

    NAN further reports that the primaries were held in all the 332 wards across the state.
    The exercise commenced peacefully, but for the late arrival of voting materials.

    NAN correspondents, who monitored the primaries in the Osun West, East and Central Senatorial Districts of the state, report that card-carrying members had lined up at their wards as early as 8.00 am waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    At ward 4, Otun-Olufi, Gbongan in Ayedaade Local Government, party members were seen waiting to be accredited.

    No party officials were seen at the ward to attend to members as 10:30 am.

    Also at Ward 9, Atile AUD primary schools, Ikire in Irewole Local Government, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    At ward 4, Union Baptist School, Osogbo, in Osogbo Local Government area, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation as at 10:54 am.

    Also in Egbedore Local Government, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    Prominent among the 17 aspirants contesting for the party’s ticket are, Mr Lasun Yussuff, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Najeem Salaam, Speaker, State House of Assembly, and Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, Gov. Aregbesola Chief of Staff.

    Others are Sen. Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East at the Senate, and Mr Saka Layonu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), among others.

  • NYSC to drive the Change Mantra- Buhari

    NYSC to drive the Change Mantra- Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme would be used to drive his administration’s change mantra.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the president stated this at the swearing-in of 2016 Batch `A’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Keffi, Nasarawa state, Ise-Ekiti, Ekiti and Gusau in Zamfara.

    NAN reports that in Keffi (Nasarawa State), Buhari, represented by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state, said the Federal Government (FG) placed a high premium on the NYSC scheme.

    The President’s address was read in Ekiti by Mr Odunayo Adesoye, the Director of Youths, Ministry of Information, Youths and Sports Development, who represented Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti.

    Also in Keffi, the president’s speech was read by Alhaji Ishaq Galadima, Nasarawa state Commissioner for Youths and Sports on behalf of Gov. Tanko Al-Makura,

    The president said the scheme is useful because it had proved itself over the years to be a reliable vehicle in inculcating sacrifice and patriotism in Nigerian youths.

    “My dear corps members, the National Youth Service Corps which was established four decades ago has demonstrated its ability to remain relevant in the life cycle of the nation,” he said.

    The president said the Federal Government would continue to invest hugely in the youth.

    While the president decried the dwindling economy of the country, he assured that his administration would strive hard to ensure that challenges facing the nation’s economy would be a thing of the past.

    He, however, warned the new youth corps members to shun social vices such as cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug peddling thuggery, prostitution, terrorism, militancy, cybercrimes, bunkering and the get-rich quick syndrome.

    “I charge you to use the various NYSC Community Development Services platforms at the grassroots to carry out public enlightenment and mobilisation for change in behaviour, thinking, cultural orientation and outlook,” he said.

    According to the president, one of the disturbing problems inherited by this administration is increasing unemployment among the young people, and that will soon be a thing of the past.

    “Thousands of graduates from the higher institutions of learning get frustrated daily as they search for non-existing jobs.

    “This is why this administration is anxious to recover illicit wealth to channel them to productive economic venture to absorb thousands into employment,” Buhari said.

    The President also charged corps members to work with enthusiasm to better the lives of their host communities.

    In his address of welcome, EKiti NYSC Coordinator, Mr Tobechi Ibeh, urged the corps members to be hard working in order to build an egalitarian society for the nation.

    Ibeh restated the commitment of the NYSC scheme to attitudinal change that would make the youths to be self-reliant.

    NAN reports that no fewer than 1,581 corps members comprising 902 male and 679 female in the 2016 Batch `A’ were administered oath of allegiance by the Ekiti Chief Judge, Justice Ayo Daramola.

    Also, NYSC State Coordinator in Nasarawa state, Mrs Habiba Bappah, said that out of the prospective corps members who reported to camp, a total of 1,935 corps members were duly registered.

    “This number is made up of 835 males and 1,100 females ready to be sworn in today,” she said.

    She then urged the new corps members to participate actively and take various the training sessions seriously; as the sessions were mapped out to give them a better future.

    In Gusau, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara urged the 1, 600 corps members posted to the state to use the period of their service to acquire various entrepreneurship skills.

    According to Yari, who was represented by the state Commissioner of Youth, Skill Acquisition and Sports, Alhaji Abdullahi Gurbin-bore, these skills will assist them to be self reliant after the service year.

    “I call on you to use your service year to contribute to the development of our dear country by using the service period to enhance the national productivity,” he said.

    He advised the corps members to show respect to the values, culture and traditions of their respective host communities, while extending the benefits of national service to the grass roots level.

    Also, the Zamfara NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ballama Bello, said the three weeks orientation programme was one of the cardinals of NYSC.

    However, Bello urged the corps members to be obedient to NYSC rules and regulations and avoid crimes and other social vices.

    NAN reports that the swearing-in was conducted by Justice Awwal Gummi on behalf of the state Chief Judge, Justice Kulu Aliyu.