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Tag: intimidated

  • Wike: Rivers will never be intimidated

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said no level of illegal use of force by Federal Security Services will intimidate the government and people.

    According to him, the state remains committed to the legal use of the people’s mandate to advance the course of development.

    The governor, who spoke during the opening of the Anaka multi-purpose community hall in Ogbogoro, was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke. He urged the people to remain peaceful and calm despite the provocative actions against their interest.

    Wike regretted the invasion of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency training camp by the Army, saying it was done in bad faith.

    He said: “The Rivers State House of Assembly passed a bill establishing Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency. The governor signed that bill and it became a law of the state. If anybody, or any organisation, or institution, has anything against that law, the natural thing to do is to challenge it in court.

    “You have seen the level of provocation by federal agencies. Only last week, they invaded the training camp of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency. But we are urging Rivers people to remain firm and strong. I tell, you as far as Rivers State is concerned, we cannot be intimidated; no amount of federal might can intimidate us.”

    The governor added that the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency has also created the needed employment and empowered youths across the state.

    He urged communities to remain peaceful and support peace initiatives that will engender development.

    Chairman of the occasion George Ihuigwe urged the youths to desist from crime and cultism. He promised to contribute his quota to the development of the area by supporting the education of youths through the purchase of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) forms.

    He also thanked the governor for always identifying with the community through projects and participation in their key social functions.

  • APC cannot be intimidated, says Oshiomhole

    •Sani: I’ve not left my party

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), remains focued, National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said on Wednesday night in Abuja.

    He told State House correspondents at the end of a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Senators at the Presidential Villathat the meeting was at the instance of the senators, to show their solidarity for the President and his administration.

    He said: “The senators have come in large  number to prove that the APC remains the party with the largest number of senators as well as members in the House of Representatives. Also to prove that we still have what it takes to continue to provide good governance for Nigeria.

    “We have agreed that going forward, the APC cannot be intimidated, the government will not be intimidated or distracted. We remain focused and committed to addressing the critical challenges that confront our country, namely security, economy and fight against corruption.

    “On all three, the President is consistent and determined and the senators have come to reassure him of their full backing on these three core commitments which we have made to the Nigerian people and for me as party Chairman, we are very excited,” he said.

    He described the senators that defected on Tuesday as victims of misinformation, expressing confidence that

    some of them will retrace their steps and return to the party.

    Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan, who led the APC Senators to the Presidential Villa, said they were there to give Buhari the detail of what transpired in the Senate on Tuesday.

    He said: “We have come to pay a courtesy call on our leader, the President of this country and inform him about what happened yesterday (Tuesday) in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly; the defection by some of our colleagues from the APC to the Peples Democratic Party, the PDP and other parties. We informed the President of how we stand in the Senate.

    “As at today, the APC caucus in the Senate is 53 in number, followed by the largest minority party the PDP with 48 Senators and then the ADC with two Senators, APGA has two Senators. We have two vacant seats which were occupied by APC senators who are late now.

    “By the grace of God there will be election into those two seats on August 11 and hopefully the APC will clinch both and our number of senators will swell to 55,” he said.

    Lawan also said the APC Senators were consulting widely and some of the defected Senators would come back to the APC.

    Forty two of the 53 APC senators were at the meeting.

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) reaffirmed his position as a member of the APC caucus in the Senate, adding that he was pleased with the measures taken by the party’s leadership to address the challenges confronting the party.

    He said “I’m here as a member of the APC caucus in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and my presence here does not mean that my issues have been solved 100 percent but I am of the believe that we have a leader in the party who is doing everything possible to see that the problems that we have that led to a situation of revolt against the system of iniquity and injustice are resolved.

    “So I am here because I believe in the leadership of the party and I believe also in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and I’m also of the believe that there is no issue that we cannot solve as human beings, as men of conscience and conviction,” he said.

    Also speaking yesterday at the APC secretariat after a meeting with Oshiomhole, Sani: .“We are confident that the new leadership of the party has the capacity to address these injustices.

    “In the words of Frantz Fanon, ‘We revolt because we cannot breathe’. So we revolted against the party because it is suffocating us. Now we have a new surgeon who is doing everything possible to put it back on track.

    “That is why we give him the benefit of doubt that the problem can be solved.

    Asked if he was still in the APC, Sani said said“If I am here, I am an APC member. If I am not an APC member, you will not see me at the party’s national secretariat”

  • Saraki: Senate won’t be intimidated

    Saraki: Senate won’t be intimidated

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has warned that members of the Upper Chamber will not be cowed in their effort to uphold and defend the principles of democracy.

    He stated this on the floor of the Senate while reacting to a point of order raised by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) on his alleged travails in the hand of the Federal Government.

    This is coming less than one week after Saraki in a Twit doubted the sincerity of the anti-corruption crusade of the Federal Government.

    He noted that the Senate will continue to defend democracy no matter the cost.

    Saraki, who particularly took a swipe at unnamed Federal Government functionaries, said there was no doubt that their actions were destroying the image of government, instead of helping to shore up its integrity.

    Melaye had drawn the attention of the Senate to what he described as witch-hunting by the Federal Government by suing him for alleged misinforming the police on his “attempted assassination”.

    Saraki said: “Senator Dino Melaye, your points are well noted and I do not see how the issue of arraignment can be a way forward in a matter like this. But be that as it may, I want us all to continue to defend democracy and fight for what is right and I can assure you that this institution will continue to stand for what is right.

    “Those who think that they are helping the government, but sometimes they are doing things that are not in the interest of this democracy. I think they need to do what is right for the interest of all of us. But for sure, what is wrong is wrong. I think those who are looking at this will have a review and do what is right.”

    Melaye, in his point of order, said he has elected to always draw attention to infringements of the law.

    He said he was prepared to pay the supreme sacrifice, if need be in the defence of democracy.

    The Kogi West senator insisted that if his trial was meant to stop him from speaking out, even criticising President Muhammadu Buhari if he did anything wrong, those behind his trial have failed.

    He vowed to use the last drop of his life to fight what he perceived attempts to silence him and stop him from speaking truth to power.

    Melaye said: “If this arraignment in Kogi State is to stop me from criticising the Federal Government, they have committed a capital compound mistake. I shall continue to speak. I shall continue to ask questions. I shall continue to criticise any public officer, including the president of Nigeria, where he has gone wrong.

    “I have conquered fear and I am not afraid of the prison. The last administration arrested me 14 times. The Abacha and Babangida’s governments detained me. I am not afraid of the prison. It is built because of human beings. But we will continue to speak the truth, not minding whose ox is gored.”

    Saraki did not allow debate of the issue Melaye raised because he came under order 43 – personal explanation.

  • David Mark can’t be intimidated, says Moro

    David Mark can’t be intimidated, says Moro

    Former Minister of Interior Comrade Abba Moro has said the invitation of former Senate President David Mark by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation, last week, has proved that the commission’s anti-corruption war is targeted at perceived opponents of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).

    Mark was invited by the anti-graft agency on account of his alleged involvement in some financial dealings when he held sway as the number-one lawmaker in the country.

    Reacting to the development, Moro, who is a chieftain of PDP and strong ally of the ex-Senate President, wondered why the travail of Mark in the hands of EFCC was coming at a time his supporters were making passionate call on him to contest for the presidency in 2019.

    “It is an unfortunate development and it goes to confirm my fears that the EFCC fight against corruption is tainted with vindictive essential and targeted at perceived political opponents of the APC.“

    “The so called quizzing of the immediate past senate president, Senator David Mark is generating avoidable innuendos, insinuations and conjectures. It is curious that the quizzing of the immediate past senate president is coming at the heals of the clamour by a cross section of Nigerians that Senator Mark should present himself to contest to be president in 2019. I just don’t want to believe that Senator Mark’s current travails is connected to the audacity of his supporters asking him to contest to be president in 2019. This is a sad commentary on the democratic credentials of 21st century Nigeria.

    “We just hope that Senator Mark’s invitation is handled a lot carefully that it doesn’t snowball into any ugly incidents. It is highly reprehensible that this is happening to Sen. David mark, a man who has given his all to Nigeria and has handled all his national assignments with dexterity, transparency and high ethical standards.”

    He added: “This latest bizarre action of the anti-graft agency will not deter Nigerians from expressing their genuine concern for the deteriorating state of the nation and the desire to enthrone a more humane government that will execute a more people oriented policies to ameliorate the living conditions of the average Nigerian.

    “This macabre attempt by the EFCC to blackmail Sen. David Mark and slander his hard earned integrity will not succeed in deterring him from contesting to be president of Nigeria if he so desires and if it is the wish of Nigerians.”

  • Egypt intimidated Siasia’s boys, referees – Eguma

    Egypt intimidated Siasia’s boys, referees – Eguma

    Egypt intimidated Nigeria’s Dream Team VI players and the Match officials on their way to securing a 2-2 draw in the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations match Wednesday, according to Dolphins FC Manager, Stanley Eguma.

    Nigeria threw away the momentum and a 2-0 first half lead against the young Pharaohs at the Stade Caroline Faye to further delay their qualification to the semifinal of the competition.

    In a chat with footballlive.ng, Eguma stressed that the North Africans employed gamesmanship when it appeared that a place in the 2016 Olympic Games was slipping through their fingers.

    He said: “They ( Egypt) intimidated our players, they used that typical North African tactics on our U-23 ( Dream Team VI). They even rattled the referees with the same tactics and you could tell that decisions soon started going their way because our players were to passive.

    “I have played against North Africans and this is what they do when they need a result and I’m expecting the same thing will happen with Algeria.”

  • Don’t be intimidated, CDHR tells would-be voters

    Don’t be intimidated, CDHR tells would-be voters

    The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has urged eligible voters in the August 9 election to reject all forms of intimidation and political brigandage.

    CDHR advised voters to cast their votes on issue-based participation by assessing the candidates and voting for them according to their programmes and performances.

    Its Vice President, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, warned that Nigeria’s politics is drifting sharply.

    The CDHR said: “There is severe danger on this democratic experiment. It is fast becoming exercises in the jungle and we have no option as a people to rise to these challenges.

    “CDHR is worried that President Goodluck Jonathan is fast drifting from the sensitivity and responsibility demanded by the office he occupies by his handling of state affairs; ranging from security, economic and political urgency bedeviling our country. He is unperturbed even with the increasing loss of lives and property.

    “The President junkets about with extravaganza and triviality which to our sense of judgment calls for deep reflections in the handling of state affairs and apparatuses. We see the president’s August 2nd, 3rd and 4th proposed visit to Osun ahead of the August 9th elections as another jamboree.

    “This trip is a further waste of our collective resources; little wonder Mr. President is demanding an approval of another $1 billion to further his free spending of security fund, knowing well that he will bluntly refuse to give details of the spending of such money.”

    The President’s visit, it said, would “cost approximately N2.5 billion giving the paraphernalia of offices, security personnel and free gifts for electoral lobbying, which will accompany his visit to once again distort democracy as he did in the Ekiti elections.”

    It stated that the masses will suffer N7 billion worth of economic losses for the three days visit, since activities in major parts of the state would be paralysed by the visit.

    “We are constantly amazed that our sitting President is fast turning to a fascist; thereby endangering the political space the masses of this country fought for during protracted military dictatorship. The country is boiling as a result of this incompetence in our leadership canon. We wonder whether our leaders have a time to sit and compare themselves with other accountable leaders around the world.”