The Nation Newspaper

Tag: governor

  • Cross River group seeks change in representation

    Cross River group seeks change in representation

    A group known as the Yakurr Youth Forum has called for a change in the representation of the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

    The incumbent, Bassey Ewa, from Yakurr Local Government Area, is serving his second term. The coordinator of the group, Leko Inah, said it was the turn of Abi Local Government to have the seat.

    His words: “The Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State has unarguably been favoured in the past fifteen years of interrupted democratic rule.

    “Being local governments carved out of the Old Obubra Local Government the sister local governments have coexisted peacefully maintaining political harmony for positions shared by the two council areas.

    “1n 1999, of the two major positions that came to the Federal Constituency, that of a Federal Executive Council and Member of the House of representatives, Yakurr represented the constituency in the House of Reps with Hon Obeten Okorn while incumbent governor of Cross River State from Abi was a member of the Federal Executive Council between 1999-2007.

    “When His Excellency became governor in 2007, even though there was a clamour for the position of member of the House of Representatives to shift to Abi, the governor and other well-meaning personalities insisted we must be our brothers’ keeper and carry each other along.

    “Consequently by 2015 Yakurr would have represented the Yakurr/Abi Federal Constituency for sixteen uninterrupted years.

    “As 2015 approaches with Senator Imoke’s constituency billed to vacate Government House Calabar, it is pertinent for the people of Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency to reappraise who emerges as the next member of the Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

    “For equity, fairness and good conscience and for the sake of maintaining the political harmony and understanding that as existed between the two sister local government areas, it is only fair that the next member of the House of Representatives for the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency emerges from Abi Local Government Area.

    “Let us emulate His Excellency, the governor, who has defied all political pressures and his insisted that for equity, fair play and good conscience, his successor to the governorship seat in Cross River State should come from the Northern Senatorial district, which is yet to produce a democratically elected governor of Cross River State.

    “The insistence of the incumbent member representing the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency to run for an unprecedented third term smacks of selfishness, insensitivity and desperation to hang on to our common wealth in utter disregard to the peace political harmony that has been hard won by our leaders.

    “Let fairness prevail so that the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency can remain a politically stable, progressive and responsible Federal Constituency.”

  • Tinubu: governor battled tyranny

    Tinubu: governor battled tyranny

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday hailed the re-election of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

    But he described as “abominable, the militarisation of the state before and during the election.

    To the former Lagos State governor, Aregbesola “bruised the head of tyranny” to snatch victory.

    Tinubu praised Aregbesola for standing firm in the face of state-sponsored terror against his person,  his government and the people of Osun State.” Your victory is the victory of good leadership over a leadership with tyrannical tendencies.

    “You and the people of the state of Osun have sent a clear and unambiguous message to all usurpers and individuals who exploit power to abuse and deny the people their rights. We have heard you and we take heed as a party,” the APC and Nigerians.

    “The lessons from Osun abides. We should never take for granted what we have else the gangsters in power will forcibly take it from us . What happened in Osun was abominable.

    “The massing of the military and over sixty thousand security men to intimidate and harrass a peaceful people is the sign of an unsecure government and party.

    “It is a pre – condition to manipulate and perpetrate electoral fraud. Under any democracy, there can be no moral or political  justification for the security armada against our party leaders and followers in Osun.

    “The implications  for our democracy fortels of dire consequences.

    “But the APC and its vast membership nationwide will not sit idly by and allow a band of gangsters determine our future simply because they happen to be in privileged positions.

    “Osun has demonstrated that it is possible to confront them. On our part, we accept this challenge. Aregbesola runs a government that places primacy on a social welfare philosophy that pursues vigorously the vision of socio – economic empower ment and developmental ethos rooted in the progressive orientation of the Yoruba nation. The people of Osun are lucky to have him as their governor and for a time such as this.

    “Our Osun victory reignites and marks the next phase of taking Nigeria back.

    “Osun re-energises us to the common good, a commitment to the people and an unbending commitment to ensure Nigeria is governed better,” he said.

  • Prayers for governor’s dad

    Prayers for governor’s dad

    The one year remembrance prayers for Alhaji Ibrahim Ademola Fashola, father of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola,  holds tomorrow at the Surulere Secondary School, Ladipo Labinjo Crescent (Off Bode Thomas Street), Surulere, at 12 noon.

    Alhaji Fashola died on August 5, last year, at 80. He was buried according to Islamic rites the following day.

  • Ex-Edo deputy governor urges Jonathan on Boko Haram

    Ex-Edo deputy governor urges Jonathan on Boko Haram

    Former Edo State Deputy Governor Rev. Peter Obadan has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to change his tactics in fighting Boko Haram.

    He spoke to reporters yesterday in Benin.

    Obadan said a greater percentage of the fund used to prosecute the fight against Boko Haram should be given to the governors in the Northeast.

    He said this became necessary because the governors, who were familiar with their terrain, knew how to use the money to end killings.

    Obadan said: “Many people have died and the terrorists have not given up. What worries me is the billions of naira said to have been spent, which is not accountable.

    “If the North’s governors were given the money, would they not have stopped terrorism?

    “The question I ask myself is, the demands of the terrorists, are they more than the billions of naira? If the money is truly spent, we will enjoy peace.

    “My take is that if the governors are given the money, they will stop terrorism. A stitch in time saves nine.”

    The ex-governor enjoined the President to take security reports on the Northeast states seriously.

    He said relying on reports from the security agencies, especially the Department of State Service (DSS), instead of those of politicians, would end insurgency.

  • Governor’s wife empowers women

    Governor’s wife empowers women

    The wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi, has empowered women.

    She did this during a tour of some of the 23 local governments.

    Mrs. Amaechi, who started the tour at Oyigbo Local Government, urged the women to foster unity and shun acts capable of destabilising the state.

    She said it was time for women to realise their role of nation building and shy away from activities that could jeopardise their aspirations.

  • Efforts to save Enugu deputy governor fail

    Efforts to save Enugu deputy governor fail

    Efforts to save embattled Enugu state Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi from impeachment hit the rocks at the weekend. The state PDP caucus failed to get him a soft landing.

    The caucus which met on Saturday at the Governor’s Lodge reportedly advised the embattled Onyebuchi to resign or await the House of the Assembly is action after its investigations.

    The House in the penultimate week, moved a motion for the deputy governor to be served with an impeachment notice. He was accused of gross misconduct.

    The members of the PDP caucus were bitter that Onyebuchi allowed his relationship with the governor to degenerate to the level that the House had to intervene.

    A source at the meeting said prominent members of the caucus, particularly Senator Ken Nnamani, Amb. Fidel Ayogu and Mr. Dubem Onyia, were not happy after listening to Governor Sullivan Chime narrate his experience with his deputy in the last seven years.

    Senator Nnamani told the caucus members that the deputy governor ran to him to Abuja where he told him to return home to resign or wait for the House to complete its investigation the source said.

    Onyia and Ayogu also were said to have took the line of Nnanami for the deputy governor to bow out since Chime told the caucus meeting that he was not prepared to work with Onyebuchi for any day longer.

    However, the source said Senator Gil Nnaji and Peace Nnaji representing Nkanu East and West in the House of Representatives, pleaded with Chime to pardon his deputy.

    The source said Senator Nnaji praised Chime for the good work he was doing in the state and urged him to give his deputy a second chance.

    But Chime was said to have told Senator Nnaji that his plea was belated since his deputy came to him in Abuja and he did not deem it fit to call him until he was invited to the caucus meeting.

    The source said majority of the caucus members were of the opinion that it would be futile to try to save the deputy governor since his boss said he could no longer work with him.

    Besides the source said the caucus said asking the House to jettison the impeachment process would amount to “ridiculing democratic practice in the state”.

    Chime was also said to have insisted at the meeting that members of the National Assembly from the state who had served for  two or more terms should return home to serve in other capacities.

    The majority of the caucus members who were not in the National Assembly had asked the members of the National Assembly who were all at the meeting except Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, to speak their mind but none opposed the governor.

    The caucus advised the lawmakers to abide by the gentleman agreement reached in 2011 and consider running for other positions other than the ones they have occupied for more than two terms.

    The House of Assembly had last Thursday advised its clerk to paste the impeachment notice on the known addresses of the deputy governor since he could not be physically served and it adjourned till Thursday.

  • Here comes the governor

    Here comes the governor

    Mr Laitan Onolaja, an engineer, has been presented in Lagos as the District Governor for Lions Club Nigeria. The event was held at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan last Saturday. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO reports.

    They all spoke highly of him, touching on his humility and generosity. It was a grand occasion – the presentation of Laitan Onolaja, an engineer, as the district governor of Lions Club Nigeria for 2014/2015.

    Onolaja was installed the District Governor at the 97th Lions international Convention held between July 4 and 8 in Toronto, Canada.

    Onolaja, a member of the Victoria Island Lions Club,last July 19, hosted friends, associates, members of his family and club during his presentation. Other officers were also installed on the occasion at which funds were raised for the club’s projects.

    The Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos venue of the event was filled. Guests came in large number. The men were in flowing Agbada and Safari, the women in Iro and buba with head gears.

    Looking dapper in a dark suit with his wife, Olatoun, and his family beside him, Onolaja was a cynosure of all eyes as he moved from one table to the other, greeting guests. There was good music by a four-man band. The Onolajas were the perfect hosts; there were various cuisines, drinks and champagne for guests to pick from.

    To show their love for Onolaja, people donated generously towards the club’s projects. Leading the pack was the Onolaja family which donated N10 million.

    As the hall erupted with shouts of appreciation, Onolaja rose to acknowledge supports from his people and well-wishers.

    Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Mr Oluwole Oduyemi, who chaired the event, described Onolaja as a caring and selfless man.

    Oduyemi said: “Lions Club has been the light of the blind as far back as 1925. And more than 30 million people have had their vision restored or improved across the globe. Having a man like Onolaja leading at this time is commendable. Onolaja is a great visioner who believes passionately in serving humanity. He is a great leader of men whose life is an inspiration to others. He has mentored many young people. I wish him well.”

    Prof Ayoade Adesokan, the immediate past council chair of the Council of Governors of Lions Club  in Nigeria, described Onolaja as a fine gentleman, a man of integrity, a man of repute, a man who sees his goal and goes after it without relenting until he achieves it.

    “We all believe in him; we know he is large-hearted and will serve the less-privileged. The expectation is high and we will give him all the needed support to succeed,” Adesokan said.

    Lami Ahmed, the immediate past District Governor, District 404 A2, Nigeria, said Onolaja is a man to be emulated.

    “He is a good philanthropist; he is a dedicated and responsible man in and out of Lionism. He is a man who is passionate about the less-privileged. He is simply the best for the job. He has been so well trained; he is committed, passionate and he has read out his plans for his cabinet and the expectation is just for him to succeed,” Ahmed said.

    Handing over the baton to his successor, the immediate past District Governor, Olumuyiwa Jegede, praised Onolaja whom he described as a perfectionist.

    “I have known him for quite some time now as ‘Mr Perfectionist’. I believe with his wealth of his experience he would steer the affairs of the association well during his tenure by building on existing legacies,” he said.

  • Oyo Speaker: no plan to impeach governor

    Oyo Speaker: no plan to impeach governor

    Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker Monsurat Sunmonu has denied reports that some members of the Assembly planned to impeach Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    Sunmonu, who spoke with our correspondent on telephone yesterday, said rather than promoting unfounded “anti-progress” reports, Nigerians should be praying for the Assembly for working hard to achieve peace and prosperity of the state in the last three years.

    The Speaker said at no time did members of the Assembly meet to discuss the alleged impeachment.

    “Instead of believing these lies, the good people of Nigeria should be praying for us to continue to work for the peace and progress of Oyo State. We have been discharging our duties by the grace of God and we believe God to help us till the end,” she said.

  • Governor Fashola’s housing palliative

    Governor Fashola’s housing palliative

    HOWEVER, in the wake of outcry against the demolition exercise, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has explained his reason for demolishing Makoko slum. According to him, it was necessary to halt the continuous expansion of the community into the lagoon with its negative impact on the environment.

    He said sequel to several meetings with leaders of the community and an agreed boundary set, the government had been working in the area to find solution to the difficulties, which the indigenous residents encounter by providing basic infrastructure and amenities to uplift the standard of life of the people. He explained that rather than maintain the established boundary, what had happened over the years was a rash of illegal shanties which expanded towards the Third Mainland Bridge and underneath the high tension electricity cables across the area.

    Expressing the readiness of his administration to meet with genuine representatives of the community, Fashola advised them to be wary of people who are profiting from their difficult situation. “The truth must be told; some people are benefiting from your difficulty and that is the truth. They are taking advantage of you in the guise of being your friends. They are taking all sorts of grants purporting to help you but it never gets to you. But as your government, we understand the challenges you face there and we are working to solve them,” he said.

    The governor noted that piling sawdust on the lagoon, discharging wastes in it and blocking the discharge points for storm water had contributed to the flooding in places like Bariga, Shomolu, Ebute-Metta, Ogudu, Owode, Ajegunle and Ikorodu, among others. “We owe you a duty, but we also owe the greater part of Lagos a duty. That lagoon is the only lagoon where we drain water during rainy season from Akoka, Bariga, Shomolu, Oworonsoki and from Macgregor Canal. The lagoon is shrinking because they are expanding and building into it; it has to stop,” he said.

    Giving the clarification about government’s intention, state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Adesegun Oniru, said the government took the decisive step to ensure the safety of residents, adding “their continuous stay leaves them at the mercy of being victims of environmental hazards.”

    On another note, the state is using a N284.4 million loan to compensate 1,933 tenants and 319 landlords affected by the Badia East clean-up, Lagos State Attorney General, Ade Ipaye said recently. Estimates by Amnesty International that the shanty homes of 9,000 people were destroyed are exaggerated, he claimed. The government must ensure people erect legal structures so it can formalize housing and clamp down on crime to make the city more attractive, he said. “If we cannot relax because all of the parks are now market places or places where people have put up shanties, then we don’t have a city,” Ipaye said.

    Lagos HOMS to the rescue

    Governor Fashola, reacting to critics of his housing policy recently, stated that his administration never promised to deliver low-cost housing but affordable housing whereby owners could pay over a long period of time. He made the assertion at the third monthly draw for allocation of homes to beneficiaries under the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS).

    Fashola dispelled criticisms that the cost of the  houses being developed under the scheme are too high, arguing that low-cost housing could not be provided in a sustainable way when there is no low-cost land, low cost labour and building materials, and when the exchange rate of the nation’s currency remains high.

    “Some people have criticised us that homes under our mortgage scheme are not low-cost; but these people cannot point to one place where our government promised to build low cost houses. We did not promise low-cost housing. What we promised was affordable housing and people should not accuse us of not doing what we did not promise,” he said.

    Interest charges on home loans run 18 percent to 25 percent, according to Michael Chu’di Ejekam, a director at London-based Actis. “The ecosystem for residential investment development still remains relatively broken.” said Ejekam adding that, “The lack of affordable mortgages is a major challenge, a major deterrent, a major hindrance to the development of residential properties in this market.”

  • Kogi Poly honours governor, three others

    The Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, was honoured with three others at the third convocation of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, last Saturday.

    He was conferred with the fellowship of the institution along with the Executive Secretary of National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr Masa’udu Adamu Kazaure; Senator Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha, and Dr Ismaila Isa, the institution’s pioneer rector.

    The polytechnic also graduated 9,880 students from the 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012 and the 2012/2013 academic sessions.

    A breakdown of statistics of the graduating students who were awarded diplomas and certificates showed that 1,759 were from the 2009/2010 academic session; 2,050 from 2010/2011; 2,850 from 2011/2012 and 3,221 from the 2012/2013 academic session.

    Reeling out a list of achievements since inception, Chairman of the Governing Council, Fidel Gandy Ayegba, said the school at a point came under the threat of closure.

    “The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) threatened to close down the polytechnic because of dominance of non-science and engineering-based programmes. Today, God has given us a ‘new song’ and our polytechnic has become a centre of international excellence in engineering and technological courses,” he said.

    On his part, the rector, Prof Mathew Idowu Ajibero, praised the state government, students and workers of the institution for the sustenance of peace, which he said afforded the polytechnic a near unbroken record of non-closure.

    “Your Excellency, I am happy to inform you today that Kogi State Polytechnic enjoys sustained peace and tranquility which equally manifested in the whole state under your dynamic and purposeful leadership. There is love, harmony and concord among staff and students. This peaceful atmosphere has resulted in the development that is taking place in the polytechnic.

    “I am happy to inform you that since 2006, except the ugly incident of April 19, 2013, carried out by enemies of progress, this polytechnic has not been closed down for one day as a result of strike or students’ crisis. In that incident, we lost our beloved colleague, Mr. Nathaniel Abimaje. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” he said.